Product Description

This history of the Battle of Britain provides an encyclopaedic academic rigour: the author went back to original sources both in the Public Record Office and the German archives. Challenging virtually every time-honoured myth and assumption about Britain's victory, the book questions the traditional myth of an amateurish, honourable British "Few" up against a pitiless and regimented German war machine. It actually asserts exactly the opposite: that it was Britain's pilots who were the ruthless combatants and its aircraft production that was the well-oiled machine, and the Germans who never quite recovered from their amateurish underestimation of their "most dangerous enemy".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #244601 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Review
'The most exhaustive and detailed account of the Battle of Britain that has yet appeared'- Times Lietrary Supplement; 'A fascinating case history in illusion and reality. He dispels the myths and kills the cliches... Admirable'- Godfrey Smith, Sunday Times

Times Literary Supplement
This is the most exhaustive and detailed account of the Battle of Britain that has yet appeared.

The Herald
Bungay sets out to reassess the Battle of Britain without the mythology and to reflect on the values it embodies...

Customer Reviews

The best Battle of Britain book ever
There are so many books available on the Battle of Britain, but this is the best I've read. A healthy and fascinating mix of anecdote, opinion, and solid research give this book so many dimensions missing in others that cover this important historical event.
Other authors have emphasised how close-run this event was - how Britain avoided defeat at the hands of the Luftwaffe by a hair's-breadth. I've never been entirely convinced by this. I could never put my finger on why, which is why I probably read so many books on this subject. But thankfully Bungay hits the nail on the head with a view that is contrary to the consensus: the British war machine was far more efficient than the Germans'; that the Germans didn't have the industrial capacity to replace the aircraft lost over England. And, crucially, the genius of Park and Dowding's organisation of the defence was such that the Luftwaffe was far from achieving a certain victory.
Everything is brilliantly explained: the tactics, the aircraft, the pilots, the politics, and much that has been neglected in the past such as the role of Bomber Command, and a decent explanation of why the famous "Big Wing" was such a bad idea.
Stick with the book to the end and you will be amused by Bungay's ironic quips, and moved when he delves deeper into the lives of some of the pilots. He rightly laments the sorry status this battle has in WWII history, pointing out that it's the world, not just Britain, that owes a debt of gratitude to the pilots.
What is profoundly sad is the knowledge that this breed is dying out - an example is the story of the retired Spitfire pilot who didn't mention his role in the battle, quietly working in his garage, content to be anonymous. One day, his secret is out, and the reaction is very moving.
Buy this - it's the best history of the most important air battle, ever.

Gripping account - very well balanced.
The Most Dangerous Enemy is a very appealing book, telling the stories of the front-line airmen on both sides, and the figures in command, fitting genuine human interest into the over-all picture of the battle. This makes the book a very exciting read, and brings the history to life. Stephen Bungay has evidently done very thorough research for this book, and there is a great deal of information woven through the individual stories.
I felt that this book got exactly the right balance between factual detail of the battle, and a gripping read about the people who actually fought it. A considerable achievement, equally of interest to the general public and historians.

Outstanding - removes the hype and reveals the true story
This book is a superb read - not just for showing the true brilliance of men like Dowding and Park who had a job to do and did it superbly, but to remind the reader of the true heroism of the Battle of Britain pilots. It may not have been such a close run thing once you read about the RAF tactics, the effects of radar and home advantage we had but it just reconfirms for me that we owe a debt to these pilots that could never be repaid.
This book may dispel some of the myths and propaganda that surrounds the Battle of Britain but for me it just reconfirms the status of the pilots and all the people that made the victory of the Battle of Britain possible. This book covers all the various factors that made up the UK defense organisation and shows how it all worked together - wonderful reading. The only sour note it the lack of recognition we gave Keith Park for his leadership - the book goes some way to re-dressing that