Product Description

After the fall of France in 1940, Hitler turned his attention to Germany's sole remaining enemy: Great Britain. His plans to invade Britain depended on crippling Britain's Royal Air Force. In July the Luftwaffe, the German air force, began its attempt to bomb Britain into submission - the resulting conflict was known as the Battle of Britain. Acclaimed historian Patrick Bishop is ideally placed to tell the story of Britain's fight for national survival. Battle of Britain offers a concise, day-by-day narrative account of the battle along with illustrations, eye-witness accounts, documents, posters and timelines. Every aspect of the battle is covered from multiple points of view providing a unique and gripping account of the battle, the men and women who fought it, and the world of the 1940s. Numerous and fascinating aspects of the conflict are discussed: aircraft and aircraft specifications; RAF Fighter Command order of battle; Luftwaffe order of battle; RAF Fighter Command groups; squadrons; commanders; meteorological conditions; plane and pilot casualties; ace flyers and their kill rates; navigation aids; myths, stories and the legend of 'the few'.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #710 in Books
• Published on: 2009-09-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Review
'An interesting and extremely well-written account of Britain's national survival ... with an impressive array of authentic documentary materials, images and newspaper headlines.' 'The best day-by-day chronicle of the Battle of Britain that I have read' --Britain at War magazine.

'A superb, precise account ... this book will have wide appeal and ranks as one of the best to appear in recent years. It is a worthy memorial to the 'Few' ... 5 stars' --Daily Telegraph.

From the Inside Flap
From the bestselling author of Fighter Boys and Bomber Boys, Battle of Britain is a magisterial and stunningly illustrated account of a defining episode in modern British history: the epic struggle of RAF Fighter Command with the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940.
From the shock of defeat and evacuation from Dunkirk in May/June 1940 to Fighter Command's assertion of superiority over the Luftwaffe in mid-September of that year, Patrick Bishop charts the key staging-posts of Britain's fight for national survival. The day-to-day progress of the battle - its dogfights, its heroes and victims, its impact on flyers and civilians alike (from the Luftwaffe's `Black Thursday' of 15 August, to the opening day of `the Blitz' on 7 September) - is evoked in a richly compelling and moving narrative. Alongside the chronological account, an array of feature panels provides a wealth of detailed information on aspects of the battle as diverse as radar and air-raid protection, high-octane fuel and `shadow' factories, the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and the contribution of the Polish and Czech squadrons. Eye-witness descriptions and extracts from diaries and journals evoke the often horrific reality of war in the air, while `pilot profiles' tell the human stories behind such celebrated `aces' as Douglas Bader, `Paddy' Finucane and `Ginger' Lacey.
Among the volume's 250 images are numerous contemporary photographs of planes, pilots and aerial combat, authentic pages from pilots' logbooks, public information posters and leaflets, paintings by celebrated war artists such as Paul Nash and Norman Wilkinson, and maps locating Fighter Command groups and sectors and the air fleets of the Luftwaffe. A full-colour appendix anatomizes the aircraft that won - and lost - the Battle of Britain, including the Spitfire, the Hurricane and the Messerschmitt 109.
As enthrallingly written as it is sumptuously presented, Battle of Britain is the definitive account of twentieth-century Britain's `finest hour' from a master of popular historical narrative. No one with an interest in the history of the Second World War or of modern Britain will wash to be without it.

About the Author
Patrick Bishop has worked as senior correspondent for the Daily Telegraph. He is the author of The Irish Empire; the acclaimed book The Provisional IRA with Eamonn Mallie; the bestselling Fighter Boys; and most recently the best-selling Bomber Boys and 3 Para. He lives in London.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant, wellreserarched and great layout!
I have read my share of books on the Battle of Britain - and my first thought was: Just another one - and whats new?
But having read both Bomberboys and Fighterboys with great pleasure, I thought I would give it a try.
I am glad I did!
This book is not only wellreserached and wellwritten, it is also packed with pictures, prints, maps and personal stories in a stunning layout, I have seldom seen. If you are only to buy one book on The Battle of Britain - buy this one!!!

Excellent new book on the Battle of Britain
As with the other reviewer, I have read and own a very large number of books on the Battle of Britain and was a little of the same mind, "What? Another book on the Battle?". However I am very pleased I picked this up, a very good day to day narrative of the Battle is combined with: first hand accounts; a huge number of photographs; supplimentary sections throughout which cover a vast array of topics - including noteworthy individuals, organisations (eg WAAf, Home Guard), pilot training, radar, etc. All of this is conveyed in a highly attractive layout which makes reading the book a very real pleasure.

I firmly believe that together with Richard Townshend Bickers' excellent "The Battle of Britain", Patrick Bishop's new offering is the best introductory text on the Battle. Very highly recommended.

battle of britain Patrick Bishop
Have read many books on this subject but this is probably the best. The day by day account is superb and the illustrations very good. Would recommend to anyone with an interest in World War 2.