5 best books on...

The Battle of Britain

The Battle Of Britain James Holland

James Holland tells this most epic of stories from a 360 degree perspective, drawing on extensive new research from around the world that challenges some long-held myths. He paints a complete picture of that extraordinary summer in 1940, when the fate of the world hung by a thread. For Britain, he says, her very survival was at stake. Holland believes the time has come to look afresh at those critical moments. He ranks 1940 in importance in British history with 1066, 1588 and 1805, when the country was imperilled as never before. We are offered a dramatic account of the Battle of Britain, but importantly Holland’s research delves deep into both sides of the story in their wider context.

Finest Hour Tim Clayton and Phil Craig

This account recreates the terror, the tragedy and the triumph of the Battle of Britain. The events of that month in 1940 are told through the voices, diaries, letters and memoirs of the men and women who lived, fought and died during that inspiring year. The book also contains a provocative analysis of key turning points and questions some cherished myths. Cutting through the nostalgic haze, it enables the reader to experience a time when a nation’s darkest hour became its finest. The authors came to a surprising conclusion: interpreting the Battle of Britain had been cluttered by wartime propaganda. They expand on the original military and political framework to set out a new understanding of the story.

We Remember The Battle Of Britain Frank & Joan Shaw

This book is filled with stories from servicemen who fought in the air and on the ground, and from the men and women who witnessed the dogfights taking place above them. From the excitement of collecting ‘souvenirs’ from wreckage as children, to hearing the screams of planes diving out of the sky, we learn how the

Few fought off the threat of invasion. The authors recount stories of ordinary men and women who never lost confidence in their ultimate victory in a time of growing up quickly. Mary Earle of Kent recalls a German raid, “Within minutes our lives had changed and the child in me had gone, never to return.”

The Many Not The Few Richard North

Noted defence analyst Richard North offers a radical re-evaluation of the Battle of Britain. He dismantles the often misleading retelling of events and takes a fresh look at the conflict, to show that the civilian experience, far from being separate and distinct, was integral to the battle. This recovery of the people’s history sets out to demonstrate that Hitler’s aim was not the military conquest of Britain and that his unattained target was the hearts and minds of the British people. North stresses that the Battle of Britain was a people’s victory, while asserting that over the years, they have been denied credit for that most important victory.