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The Battle Of Britain: Myth and Reality
From the award-winning author of The Dictators, Richard Overy's The Battle of Britain: Myth and Reality is the best introduction available to a defining moment in British history.
The extraordinary struggle between British and German air forces in 1940 was one of the pivotal events of the Second World War. How close did Britain really come to invasion during this time? What were Hitler and Churchill's motives? And what was the battle's real effect on the outcome of the war?
The extraordinary struggle between British and German air forces in 1940 was one of the pivotal events of the Second World War. How close did Britain really come to invasion during this time? What were Hitler and Churchill's motives? And what was the battle's real effect on the outcome of the war?
162 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2001
25 people are currently reading
564 people want to read
About the author
Richard Overy
148 books352 followersRichard James Overy is a British historian who has published extensively on the history of World War II and the Third Reich.
Educated at Caius College, Cambridge and awarded a research fellowship at Churchill College, Professor Overy taught history at Cambridge from 1972 to 1979, as a fellow of Queens' College and from 1976 as a university assistant lecturer. In 1980 he moved to King's College London, where he became professor of modern history in 1994. He was appointed to a professorship at the University of Exeter in 2004.
His work on World War II has been praised as "highly effective in the ruthless dispelling of myths" (A. J. P. Taylor), "original and important" (New York Review of Books) and "at the cutting edge" (Times Literary Supplement.)[
Educated at Caius College, Cambridge and awarded a research fellowship at Churchill College, Professor Overy taught history at Cambridge from 1972 to 1979, as a fellow of Queens' College and from 1976 as a university assistant lecturer. In 1980 he moved to King's College London, where he became professor of modern history in 1994. He was appointed to a professorship at the University of Exeter in 2004.
His work on World War II has been praised as "highly effective in the ruthless dispelling of myths" (A. J. P. Taylor), "original and important" (New York Review of Books) and "at the cutting edge" (Times Literary Supplement.)[
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 6, 2020
It was worth upgrading to a hardcover.
The finest hour of the Spitfire gets the Marie Kondo treatment from a historian in the know. By challenging all of our assumptions, he leaves us with a clear framework for further study. As the title implies, there's a fair amount of de-mythologizing in this slender volume, yet in turn there's also some re-mythologizing through the winding turns of historiography. For example, the principal popular phrase of The Few from Churchillean rethoric is first debunked as the effectives of Fighter Command and three Luftflotten over the Channel enjoyed a rough parity. Next, it is reinstated as the actual fighter-to-fighter confrontation were decided by a highly trained elite numbering a few hundreds.
This principle of parity is extended to the machines, where the agile Spitfire's armament is no match for the armour on his opponents and the Stuka can outdive the Hurricane. The novelties begin with the framing of the aerial duels within the wider context of "the invasion of Britain" as it was contested into 1941, with Coastal Command making an undervalued contribution, with the Krieksmarine cultivating plans of its own without much regard for the sky and with the U-boats chasing up the graphs of shipping losses in the nascent Battle for the Atlantic. The role of AA defences, the focus of the interwar bombing scare, is shown to be in symbiosis with radar-based warning systems, as the time gap between detection and squadron scramble was often minute.
The political introductions is straightfoward, with the exception of the murk surrounding the replacement of Air Chief Marshal Dowding in November. Noteworthy is the absence of any demarkation of the battle in time and space, since it concerned a threedimensial space without landmarks in which the intensity of the fighting rose & ebbed slowly.
One simple point is clear that both countless professionals and amateurs have made: the home team always has an advantage. Especially if the alternative is fighting at the end of your operational range, with the cold comfort of the English waves or a Canadian POW camp as the only way out .
The finest hour of the Spitfire gets the Marie Kondo treatment from a historian in the know. By challenging all of our assumptions, he leaves us with a clear framework for further study. As the title implies, there's a fair amount of de-mythologizing in this slender volume, yet in turn there's also some re-mythologizing through the winding turns of historiography. For example, the principal popular phrase of The Few from Churchillean rethoric is first debunked as the effectives of Fighter Command and three Luftflotten over the Channel enjoyed a rough parity. Next, it is reinstated as the actual fighter-to-fighter confrontation were decided by a highly trained elite numbering a few hundreds.
This principle of parity is extended to the machines, where the agile Spitfire's armament is no match for the armour on his opponents and the Stuka can outdive the Hurricane. The novelties begin with the framing of the aerial duels within the wider context of "the invasion of Britain" as it was contested into 1941, with Coastal Command making an undervalued contribution, with the Krieksmarine cultivating plans of its own without much regard for the sky and with the U-boats chasing up the graphs of shipping losses in the nascent Battle for the Atlantic. The role of AA defences, the focus of the interwar bombing scare, is shown to be in symbiosis with radar-based warning systems, as the time gap between detection and squadron scramble was often minute.
The political introductions is straightfoward, with the exception of the murk surrounding the replacement of Air Chief Marshal Dowding in November. Noteworthy is the absence of any demarkation of the battle in time and space, since it concerned a threedimensial space without landmarks in which the intensity of the fighting rose & ebbed slowly.
One simple point is clear that both countless professionals and amateurs have made: the home team always has an advantage. Especially if the alternative is fighting at the end of your operational range, with the cold comfort of the English waves or a Canadian POW camp as the only way out .
August 25, 2020
In
The Battle of Britain
, Richard Overy tells the story of the contest between German and British air forces in the late summer and autumn of 1940. The battle was a defensive triumph: it saved Britain from cheap conquest.
The Battle matters because it prevented German invasion and kept Britain in the war, which was an achievement worthwhile enough. Ten European states had failed to prevent German occupation by the summer of 1940. Yet, Richard Overy regards the story of a united nation repelling invasion as a myth, and questions the iconographic status of the Spitfires and those who flew them.
There is another history to be discovered behind the popular narrative.
For example, as the auhtor assesses, German documents suggest that the invasion of southern Britian, which was allegedly prevented by the battle, was actually a bluff designed to make Britain beg for peace. In the summer of 1940, Hitler's gaze was already focused on the east, and the Royal Air Force did not repel invasion simply because the Germans weren't coming.
Overy continues with a new outlook on the picture of a firmly united and determined people standing shoulder to shoulder against fascism. He presents new historical evidence, which shows that the British were less united in 1940 than was universally believed. Churchill's government had powerful voices advocating a search for peace in the summer of 1940.
Richard Overy’s book assesses where "The Battle" now stands in history and separates the historical narrative from the popular myth. However, it also proves that the battle of Britain was, for great many reasons, significant and necessary, and the consequences of British abdication in 1940 would have been a disaster for the whole world. The Battle of Britain is a brilliantly written, concise history of one of Britain's greatest 20th-century battles.
The Battle matters because it prevented German invasion and kept Britain in the war, which was an achievement worthwhile enough. Ten European states had failed to prevent German occupation by the summer of 1940. Yet, Richard Overy regards the story of a united nation repelling invasion as a myth, and questions the iconographic status of the Spitfires and those who flew them.
There is another history to be discovered behind the popular narrative.
For example, as the auhtor assesses, German documents suggest that the invasion of southern Britian, which was allegedly prevented by the battle, was actually a bluff designed to make Britain beg for peace. In the summer of 1940, Hitler's gaze was already focused on the east, and the Royal Air Force did not repel invasion simply because the Germans weren't coming.
Overy continues with a new outlook on the picture of a firmly united and determined people standing shoulder to shoulder against fascism. He presents new historical evidence, which shows that the British were less united in 1940 than was universally believed. Churchill's government had powerful voices advocating a search for peace in the summer of 1940.
Richard Overy’s book assesses where "The Battle" now stands in history and separates the historical narrative from the popular myth. However, it also proves that the battle of Britain was, for great many reasons, significant and necessary, and the consequences of British abdication in 1940 would have been a disaster for the whole world. The Battle of Britain is a brilliantly written, concise history of one of Britain's greatest 20th-century battles.
October 2, 2016
A short but very interesting read. This book has two major premises that are mostly in contradiction to the normal read of The Battle of Britain. The first is that at no time were the British really outnumbered by the Germans in the air. The second is that the outcome of the battle was never truly in question.
The first flies in the face of accepted understanding of the battle as well as most of the numbers that are presented when reading about it. What Overy is pointing to isn't the fact that if you take all the German aircraft the British are outnumbered, but if you count only those aircraft that are the major factor in determining the outcome of the battle are these numbers on par or do the British even have an edge at times. Single Engined Fighters. Since these aircraft were the ones that determined the outcome of the battle, Bombers could not get through on their own, it was these aircraft that truly needed to be compared.
He also brings up the point that the British weren't ever really desperate for replacements the way most books point out. The British training system was turning out more replacement pilots than the Germans, pilots that could be trained and given flying time outside of the battle area. Also the aircraft production of the British was better and turning out more aircraft than the Germans, both of which allowed the British to replace losses faster than the Germans were.
The Second premise is even more interesting. This one has more to do with the way the Battle was fought. Not so much in the tactics of the Battle, but in the way the Intelligence agencies led the Commanders to determine how to allocate forces and treat each encounter. In this aspect the normally presented view was a plus for the British. The Germans were getting reports from their Intelligence agencies that the British were on their last leg, one more knock would put the RAF out of action and clear the skies for the Luftwaffe to have its way. The British sources were always overestimating the size of the Luftwaffe and its replacements meaning the RAF always thought it was outnumbered and about to be overwhelmed.
Because of these differences the two Air Forces went into battle with different attitudes. The Germans were confident that they just had to push a little harder and victory would be theirs. The British were constantly believing that it was an all or nothing do or die affair. This difference it attitude gave the British pilots the edge in combat and in an overall sense the RAF an edge in the winning of the battle.
A very good if short book that presents its case well. A must read for Battle of Britain aficionados, a fun read for anyone else.
The first flies in the face of accepted understanding of the battle as well as most of the numbers that are presented when reading about it. What Overy is pointing to isn't the fact that if you take all the German aircraft the British are outnumbered, but if you count only those aircraft that are the major factor in determining the outcome of the battle are these numbers on par or do the British even have an edge at times. Single Engined Fighters. Since these aircraft were the ones that determined the outcome of the battle, Bombers could not get through on their own, it was these aircraft that truly needed to be compared.
He also brings up the point that the British weren't ever really desperate for replacements the way most books point out. The British training system was turning out more replacement pilots than the Germans, pilots that could be trained and given flying time outside of the battle area. Also the aircraft production of the British was better and turning out more aircraft than the Germans, both of which allowed the British to replace losses faster than the Germans were.
The Second premise is even more interesting. This one has more to do with the way the Battle was fought. Not so much in the tactics of the Battle, but in the way the Intelligence agencies led the Commanders to determine how to allocate forces and treat each encounter. In this aspect the normally presented view was a plus for the British. The Germans were getting reports from their Intelligence agencies that the British were on their last leg, one more knock would put the RAF out of action and clear the skies for the Luftwaffe to have its way. The British sources were always overestimating the size of the Luftwaffe and its replacements meaning the RAF always thought it was outnumbered and about to be overwhelmed.
Because of these differences the two Air Forces went into battle with different attitudes. The Germans were confident that they just had to push a little harder and victory would be theirs. The British were constantly believing that it was an all or nothing do or die affair. This difference it attitude gave the British pilots the edge in combat and in an overall sense the RAF an edge in the winning of the battle.
A very good if short book that presents its case well. A must read for Battle of Britain aficionados, a fun read for anyone else.
January 5, 2016
A reasonable overview of the battle, I wouldn't recommend this book to those unfamiliar with the overall scope of fighting (this was my first book on the subject).
Although the conclusions Overy draws seem reasonable and are probably closer to reality than the myths, the book spends little time characterizing the individuals involved in the battle, and devotes a lot of time to summarizing numbers for aircraft production, bombs dropped, pilots trained, and so on.
This is probably a good second or third book on the Battle of Britain, but otherwise I'd imagine there are better options.
Although the conclusions Overy draws seem reasonable and are probably closer to reality than the myths, the book spends little time characterizing the individuals involved in the battle, and devotes a lot of time to summarizing numbers for aircraft production, bombs dropped, pilots trained, and so on.
This is probably a good second or third book on the Battle of Britain, but otherwise I'd imagine there are better options.
March 18, 2023
The Germans lost
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2024
3.5-Read for school but really good overall
February 17, 2025
A very succinct account of the a hugely important part of WW2. I have read a lot about Battle of Britain and this approach by the author gave so much detail.
January 21, 2025
Short and to the point. This is a first class analysis of what we know as the Battle of Britain. Clearly written and cogently argued by an accomplished historian. Well worth a read.
December 18, 2025
Not a big book, but very comprehensive.
January 17, 2012
An excellent myth-busting work my Richard Overy, who exposes many of the illusions that Britons seem to hold regarding the Battle of Britain. Britain did not, for example, far fewer planes and pilots that Nazi Germany during the battle (British output was actually double that of Germany throughout); the Germans did not engage in mass bombings of British cities (this came much later in the war: it was only the inaccurate bombing of the day - for which Britain was equally culpable - which led to civilian deaths in 1940); Churchill was not, not this early at least, the light in a time of darkness ("We shall win, but not because we deserve it... not because of our intelligence"). Overy also sets about bringing to light some uncomfortable truths. British High Command appears to have been worried by how an invasion in 1940 would have been met by the working class public, part of which had shown more than a little apathy to the thought of Nazi occupation.
As well as digging out the usual sources in which Hitler bemoans British (obstinacy not because he particularly wanted to invade but because he had hoped that the Third Reich and the British Empire could peacefully coexist), Overy also highlights the arrogance of Goebbels' and the German flight command. For example, at one point the British captured a 47 year-old journalist who had been trained and had flown a dozen missions in order to write a book on the Wehrmacht.
Humourous tales aside, the author also informs us of British incompetence in the early days of the battle (it was not unheard of for German pilots who stalled over Britain to land on British airstrips and take off again!) and comments on how the battle's name happened almost by accident.
As well as digging out the usual sources in which Hitler bemoans British (obstinacy not because he particularly wanted to invade but because he had hoped that the Third Reich and the British Empire could peacefully coexist), Overy also highlights the arrogance of Goebbels' and the German flight command. For example, at one point the British captured a 47 year-old journalist who had been trained and had flown a dozen missions in order to write a book on the Wehrmacht.
Humourous tales aside, the author also informs us of British incompetence in the early days of the battle (it was not unheard of for German pilots who stalled over Britain to land on British airstrips and take off again!) and comments on how the battle's name happened almost by accident.
March 23, 2016
This short book provides some interesting snippets of information for the Battle of Britain enthusiast. Having read this after some of the more detailed histories on the Battle of Britain (most notably 'Battle of Britain' by Patrick Bishop), the assessments of Luftwaffe strength, tactics, mistakes and the German war industry in Overy's work provided welcome insight to give a more comprehensive understanding of the Battle of Britain. However, from this work I did not garner any major adjustments to the generally accepted understanding of the course of the battle or the stakes at hand. It rather seems to be a work of many footnotes and asides on the topic. I would recommend another, more general history of the Battle of Britain for readers to gain a sense of the atmosphere during this stage of the Second World War ('Fighter Boys' by Patrick Bishop for analysis of the people involved, and his 'Battle of Britain' for a chronological account).
July 21, 2018
A high-level look at one of the most fateful battles in modern history.
Richard Overy presents an analysis of the Battle of Britain that ends some of the myths of the Battle and points out that the two sides fought under parallel misconceptions that shaped the battle:
The British thought the Luftwaffe was more powerful than it actually was at the time.
The German thought that the RAF's Fighter Command was weaker than tactually was.
It turns out the two sides were relatively evenly matched and the two misconceptions affected both side's actions in the fight.
Overy also analyses the fateful decision by the Germans to shift from attacking Fighter Command's airfields to bombing cities and notes the while it was ordered by Hitler after the relatively ineffectual RAF bombing of Berlin, the shift had been in the works for some time and was not decided solely on the basis of revenge for the Berlin raid. This shift, brought on by the German's misguided analysis that Higher Command was a spent force, helped further relieve pressure on Fighter Command and caused the fight to tilt even further in the RAF's favor. Both sides continued to misapprehend and misunderstand the other's aircraft production and readiness for far beyond the battle itself.
The result of the Battle ended the German possibility of invading the British home isles, even if British fear of a German invasion lingered for some time after the battle had ceased.
A very engaging book, if you want a very quick and high-level look at the battle, it's worth a read.
Richard Overy presents an analysis of the Battle of Britain that ends some of the myths of the Battle and points out that the two sides fought under parallel misconceptions that shaped the battle:
The British thought the Luftwaffe was more powerful than it actually was at the time.
The German thought that the RAF's Fighter Command was weaker than tactually was.
It turns out the two sides were relatively evenly matched and the two misconceptions affected both side's actions in the fight.
Overy also analyses the fateful decision by the Germans to shift from attacking Fighter Command's airfields to bombing cities and notes the while it was ordered by Hitler after the relatively ineffectual RAF bombing of Berlin, the shift had been in the works for some time and was not decided solely on the basis of revenge for the Berlin raid. This shift, brought on by the German's misguided analysis that Higher Command was a spent force, helped further relieve pressure on Fighter Command and caused the fight to tilt even further in the RAF's favor. Both sides continued to misapprehend and misunderstand the other's aircraft production and readiness for far beyond the battle itself.
The result of the Battle ended the German possibility of invading the British home isles, even if British fear of a German invasion lingered for some time after the battle had ceased.
A very engaging book, if you want a very quick and high-level look at the battle, it's worth a read.
June 14, 2020
A very succinct account of the Battle of Britain. A forensic analysis that overturns many of the myths that circulated at the time. Overy has used many references available at the Public Records Office (PRO), the BA-MA Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv, Freiburg and the AHB Air Historical Branch, Ministry of Defence, London.
This is not a record of individual pilot successes but rather focuses on the senior staff officers: Air Chief Marshall Sir Cyril Newall, General Harold Alexander, Wing Commander Douglas Bader (who came up with the strategy of the 'big wing'), Lord Beaverbrook, Air Vice Marshall Quintin Brand, General Sir Alan Brooke, Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding, Reich Marshal Herman Goering, General Franz Halder, General Alfred Jodl, Field Marshall Albert Kesselring, Air Vice Marshall Trafford Leigh-Mallory and of course Air Vice Marshall Keith Park.
Errors abounded on both sides concerning operational strength: the Germans constantly underestimated the number of fighter and bomber aircraft available to the RAF; the RAF consistently overestimated the aircraft available to the Luftwaffe.
The extraordinary struggle between the British and German air forces in 1940 was one of the pivotal events of the Second World War. How close did Britain really come to invasion during this time? What were Hitler and Churchill's motives? What was the battle's real effect on the outcome of the war?
Overy has carefully argued, clearly explained and impressively documented the Battle of Britain - a notable achievement.
This is not a record of individual pilot successes but rather focuses on the senior staff officers: Air Chief Marshall Sir Cyril Newall, General Harold Alexander, Wing Commander Douglas Bader (who came up with the strategy of the 'big wing'), Lord Beaverbrook, Air Vice Marshall Quintin Brand, General Sir Alan Brooke, Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding, Reich Marshal Herman Goering, General Franz Halder, General Alfred Jodl, Field Marshall Albert Kesselring, Air Vice Marshall Trafford Leigh-Mallory and of course Air Vice Marshall Keith Park.
Errors abounded on both sides concerning operational strength: the Germans constantly underestimated the number of fighter and bomber aircraft available to the RAF; the RAF consistently overestimated the aircraft available to the Luftwaffe.
The extraordinary struggle between the British and German air forces in 1940 was one of the pivotal events of the Second World War. How close did Britain really come to invasion during this time? What were Hitler and Churchill's motives? What was the battle's real effect on the outcome of the war?
Overy has carefully argued, clearly explained and impressively documented the Battle of Britain - a notable achievement.
July 7, 2025
Richard Overy is a first-class historian and an excellent writer. He’s also an expert on the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Second World War, so this short book was full of promise. It lived up to expectations. Clearly-written with a solid dose of myth-busting, he describes a “battle” that claimed tens of thousands of civilian lives — a battle which began with both sides aiming to destroy military targets and limit civilian casualties, but in the end having to dispense with nearly all the rules and aim to ruthlessly bomb the enemy into submission. What seems to have won the battle for the RAF was not the fact that it had better pilots (the Germans had skilled and motivate pilots too) but that it vastly over-produced aircraft and trained airmen. It turns out that “the Few” were not so few, and there were more of them and more airplanes, than the Luftwaffe had. The book also portrays the German military leadership, including Hitler, as behaving somewhat rationally at this point in the war, deciding that without air superiority over England, an invasion could not take place. Recommended.
October 27, 2021
In this short read, Overy effeciently and cleverly divides the subject into 4 main parts:
1. The Setting
2. The Adversaries
3. The Battle
4. A Victory of Sorts
This is in essence a broad overview of the 90-day or so battle for air superiority over England. It is not a full detailed accounted, yet it is still peppered throughout with specifics and statistics for the reader to grasp very good conception of the air battle.
I was surprised to learn out air warfare differed greatly than land warfare. Altitude and plane power were used tactically to defend and attack. Both sides did their best to learn and develop new forms of defense and offensive actions. Hitler was indeed harboring deep reservations on an actual land invasion of Great Britain, especially when the entire air war became one giant stalemate towards the end.
This is a great primer read to go into other more detailed accounts. Overy delivers on this one.
1. The Setting
2. The Adversaries
3. The Battle
4. A Victory of Sorts
This is in essence a broad overview of the 90-day or so battle for air superiority over England. It is not a full detailed accounted, yet it is still peppered throughout with specifics and statistics for the reader to grasp very good conception of the air battle.
I was surprised to learn out air warfare differed greatly than land warfare. Altitude and plane power were used tactically to defend and attack. Both sides did their best to learn and develop new forms of defense and offensive actions. Hitler was indeed harboring deep reservations on an actual land invasion of Great Britain, especially when the entire air war became one giant stalemate towards the end.
This is a great primer read to go into other more detailed accounts. Overy delivers on this one.
March 5, 2021
Believe it or not the Battle of Britain is quite a difficult historical event to pin. There aren't, for instance, agreed starting & finishing dates for the clashes that encompass it. Nor can you fully appreciate it place in history until you place it in context with everything else that was going on during the roughly months in which it took place.
If you want an up to date historical view of the Battle Britain based on recent scholarship then this book is an excellent place to start. It doesn't get bogged down in excessive detail but gives the reader an overview of what went whilst additionally exploding a few myths along the way.
If you want an up to date historical view of the Battle Britain based on recent scholarship then this book is an excellent place to start. It doesn't get bogged down in excessive detail but gives the reader an overview of what went whilst additionally exploding a few myths along the way.
December 16, 2022
This is a book I was assigned in college for a "Europe in the age of dictatorship class" and truthfully I had a really had time getting though this one, it's not a long book, only 137 pages of content before getting into an extensive notes section. Honestly if the book had been broken up a bit with the tables and maps in the notes section the density would be greatly diminished.
The book is broken up into 4 sections; The setting, the adversaries, the battle and, a victory of sorts. Even though the book is titled "The Battle of Britain" the section about the battle itself only took up 34% of the book.
The book is broken up into 4 sections; The setting, the adversaries, the battle and, a victory of sorts. Even though the book is titled "The Battle of Britain" the section about the battle itself only took up 34% of the book.
January 13, 2024
Overy does his usual excellent analysis that he is known for. Those wanting a general history of the battle should look elsewhere; this volume offers insights and new perspective on various aspects of the subject. In particular Overy provides accounts and analysis of what the direction of the battle looked like at the time it was being fought with the information at hand. He includes not only accounts of the military aspects of the battle, but the social and political ones as well, going back before the battle and war even started. An interesting volume that brings new perspectives on the well-documented subject matter.
July 8, 2021
A brief, myth-busting account of the Battle of Britain that you could read in a couple of sittings. The print is very large, and the text runs to a mere 122 pages. The Battle of Britain was not as significant as is popularly thought; I am not convinced that Britain was under any serious threat of invasion. What the Battle of Britain did was demonstrate to Adolf Hitler that an invasion of Britain would not be easy, which suited him as he had other priorities.
January 13, 2023
Just the facts and numbers about the Battle of Britain. While the facts presented are Interesting and some are surprises, this book lacks narrative drive. The only people of note besides Hitler and government officials on both sides, are the pilots. Still they are mentioned in terms of numbers killed, new ones trained etc. The question left unanswered is did these heroic pilots prevent the invasion of Great Britain? It seems the answer may be a partial yes.
January 14, 2020
Usefully and succinctly explodes some of the mythology that has grown around the Battle, whilst taking nothing away from those who flew on either side. A short but worthwhile read that can probably serve as a last word on something that has in British minds possibly taken on a little more significance than it deserves.
June 19, 2020
Quick read that does as promised - lays bare the facts about the Battle of Britain and challenges some of the myths that emerged around it. The key to the battle seems to be Britain's extraordinary ability to produce aircraft. Would have been a stronger book if Overy had provided a bit more background as to why Britain was able to crank out more fighters even in the midst of the battle.
February 7, 2017
The author clearly had extensive knowledge of the Battle, but I found it difficult to follow as was constantly jumping around the timeline. I would have appreciated the book more if it discussed events in a chronological order instead.
May 13, 2018
A good introduction into the reality behind the myth of the Battle of Britain. For me there were some surprising discoveries along the way, underlining how one narrative has become the "truth" as we know it today.
Definitely worth reading for anyone interested in history and WWII!
Definitely worth reading for anyone interested in history and WWII!
November 27, 2020
This book suggests that certain social classes wanted to wave the white flag at Hitler. It's an interesting parallel with England today ...as we saw certain social classes voting ( in 2016) to remain under the rule of the EU whilst the working classes voted for independence.
Overall I found it an easy but interesting read.
Overall I found it an easy but interesting read.
May 25, 2018
This is an excellent summary of the Battle of Britain. It's very accessible and a great place to start before going into more depth.
February 21, 2019
Well written, enjoyable and packed with information.
October 29, 2019
Easy to read. Nice summary of events.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
January 11, 2026
Fine as a brief introduction, but there are several more absorbing books out there.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews