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General Aviation
The Battle of Britain
In 1940 Britain was an island under siege. The march of the Nazi war machine had been unrelenting: France and Belgium had quickly fallen and now the British Empire and the Commonwealth stood alone to counter the grave threat. However, their fate would not be decided by armies of millions but by a small band of fighter pilots. It was on their shoulders that Britain’s best chance of survival rested. Above the villages and cities, playing fields and market towns, the skies of southern England were the scene of countless dogfights as the fledgling Fighter Command duelled daily against the might of the Luftwaffe. The Battle of Britain offers an in-depth assessment of the situation leading up to the summer of 1940, the strategies employed by the adversaries and the brutal aerial battle itself. Lavishly illustrated with photographs, contemporary art and posters, and accompanied by numerous first-hand accounts, this is a volume that captures the reality of a defining chapter in British history.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
6 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Kate Moore
27 books137 followersKate Moore writes stand alone and series romances set in contemporary California and Regency England for readers who want to fall in love again standing up, mostly fully clothed, surrounded by family. In Kate's stories, kind, quick-witted women find love with hot billionaires, lofty lords, and sexy spies; longing is leavened with humor; and readers say the blend of sparks and spice is "just right sexy." When life happens, let a Kate Moore romance lift your spirits. To connect with Kate and find the right romance for you, visit her website at https://www.katemoore.com or sign up for her newsletter at https://www.katemoore.com.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 16, 2021
Spoiler - Britain wins the Battle of Britain. You do not know this until page 177 of the 187 pages of text. (Unless you paid attention in history class). This was not a short battle. Officially, July 10, 1940 to Oct 31, 1940. On page 177, Germany's operation Sea Lion was canceled on Sept 17. The key to the cancellation was anther convincing air victory on Sept 15 by the RAF (Royal Air Force). Even if you did pay attention in history class, you have an uneasy feeling with only 10 pages remaining, that either side could win!
The Dunkirk evacuation concluded on June 4. Soon afterward, Winston Churchill gave is famous battle-naming speech on June 18, and foretold of what truly became 'their finest hour'.
What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilisation. Upon it depends our own British life and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of a perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour"
The Blitz on London actually continued into May of 1941, so the Battle of Britain can not truly be constrained to a window of time. But September 15 is the "Battle of Britain Day" to commemorate the air battle where David beat Goliath well enough for Hitler to scrap his invasion plans. On this Sunday in 1941, over 1500 combined aircraft fought in the sky, with Britain the acknowledged victor.
The US was not yet in the war. If Britain had fallen, would Hitler have prevailed? Hitler turned east (after canceling operation Sea Lion invasion of Britain) against a staunch Russia and found another brick wall. But the free world today needs to give many thanks to the brave teens and 20-year-olds that went into the sky for months, maybe five times per day, to do individual battles to save their collective nation (and more).
This is a very well put-together oversize book. Lots of applicable pictures that perfectly match the text in which they are inserted. Constant use of first-person narrative accounts. Occasional pages with a detailed focus on a specific pilot or military leader personality. Definitely a book I'd like to own.
The Dunkirk evacuation concluded on June 4. Soon afterward, Winston Churchill gave is famous battle-naming speech on June 18, and foretold of what truly became 'their finest hour'.
What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilisation. Upon it depends our own British life and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of a perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour"
The Blitz on London actually continued into May of 1941, so the Battle of Britain can not truly be constrained to a window of time. But September 15 is the "Battle of Britain Day" to commemorate the air battle where David beat Goliath well enough for Hitler to scrap his invasion plans. On this Sunday in 1941, over 1500 combined aircraft fought in the sky, with Britain the acknowledged victor.
The US was not yet in the war. If Britain had fallen, would Hitler have prevailed? Hitler turned east (after canceling operation Sea Lion invasion of Britain) against a staunch Russia and found another brick wall. But the free world today needs to give many thanks to the brave teens and 20-year-olds that went into the sky for months, maybe five times per day, to do individual battles to save their collective nation (and more).
This is a very well put-together oversize book. Lots of applicable pictures that perfectly match the text in which they are inserted. Constant use of first-person narrative accounts. Occasional pages with a detailed focus on a specific pilot or military leader personality. Definitely a book I'd like to own.
July 24, 2011
Pure military history and I am just not a fan.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews