303 Squadron

The Legendary Battle of Britain Fighter Squadron

Description

The summer of 1940 and the Battle of Britain—the darkest days of World War II. France, Poland, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Norway had all been crushed by the powerful German war machine. Great Britain stood alone, fighting for its life.

Thrilling action story of the celebrated squadron of Polish fighter pilots whose superb daring and aerial combat skills helped save England during its most desperate hours.

The 303 “Kosciuszko” Squadron flew with the RAF, downing three times the average RAF score, while incurring only one-third the average casualties during the Battle of Britain. Underdog heroes who rose to defend against the deadliest German Luftwaffe attacks, the pilots of 303 Squadron were lionized by the British press, congratulated by the King and adored by the British public.

With an immediacy that vividly brings to life those harrowing days, Arkady Fiedler paints the bravery, the poignancy, the breathtaking gambles with death risked daily by this exceptional group of young men far from home, who fought to preserve freedom for all.

About the author(s)

Author ARKADY FIEDLER (1894-1985) was born in Poznan, Poland, educated at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, in Poznan and at the University of Leipzig.

A best-selling travel writer researching in Tahiti when World War II began, Fiedler made his way back to Europe and joined the Polish Army in France after Poland had fallen to the Germans. Fiedler managed to get to England with other Polish forces after the fall of France. He undertook to chronicle the extraordinary achievements of 303 Squadron during the Battle of Britain with the blessing of Polish Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief General Wladyslaw Sikorski.

Fiedler’s thirty-two books have been translated into twenty-three languages, selling over 10 million copies. 303 Squadron is his most famous and popular book.

Reviews

WINNER of the Benjamin Franklin GOLD Award for HISTORY from the Independent Book Publishers Association.

WINNER of the Benjamin Franklin SILVER Award for INTERIOR DESIGN from the Independent Book Publishers Association.

A Selection of the HISTORY BOOK CLUB and the MILITARY BOOK CLUB.

Excerpted in Smithsonian's Air & Space Magazine.

Now a major motion picture Mission of Honor (UK: Hurricane) starring Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones) and Milo Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge).

“Deserves five stars for every single one of its pages. Vivid and thrilling almost beyond measure.”

“About as exciting as it gets. The author actually puts the reader in the cockpit as fighters climb and dive and twist and turn in dogfights.”

“Compelling.”

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