The Battle of Britain: The Greatest Air Battle of World War II

The Battle of Britain: The Greatest Air Battle of World War II PDF Author: Richard Hough
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393307344
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 474

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Book Description
A definitive account of the three-month air battle in 1940 between the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe. The victory of the Battle of Britain ranks with Marathon and the Marne as a decisive point in history. At the end of June 1940, having overrun much of Western Europe, the Nazi war leaders knew that they had to defeat the Royal Air Force Fighter Command before they could invade the British mainland. With a finely-struck balance of historical background and dramatic renderings of RAF and Luftwaffe engagements over the English countryside, Hough and Richards offer a history that is at once deep and wide-ranging. They offer insight into how the British laid the groundwork for victory through aircraft research and production, the development and implementation of command and control structures, and research into new technologies, the most important of which was radar. Hough and Richards also utilize first-person accounts of the battle whenever possible, rendering the battle scenes with cinematic intensity. A compelling introduction to one of the most important battles of World War II, The Battle of Britain pays tribute to the men about whom Winston Churchill would remark, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

The Battle for Britain

The Battle for Britain PDF Author: John Clarke
Publisher: Policy Press
ISBN: 1529227704
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 253

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Book Description
This book addresses the social, political and economic turbulence in which the UK is embroiled. Drawing on Cultural Studies, it explores proliferating crises and conflicts, from the multiplying varieties of social dissent through the stagnation of rentier capitalism to the looming climate catastrophe. Examining arguments about Brexit, class and ‘race’, and the changing character of the state, the book is underpinned by a transnational and relational conception of the UK. It traces the entangled dynamics of time and space that have shaped the current conjuncture. Questioning whether increasingly anti-democratic and authoritarian strategies can provide a resolution to these troubles, it explores how the accumulating crises and conflicts have produced a deepening ‘crisis of authority’ that forms the terrain of the Battle for Britain.

Battle of Britain The Movie

Battle of Britain The Movie PDF Author: Dilip Sarkar
Publisher: Air World
ISBN: 1399014781
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
Released in 1969, the film Battle of Britain went on to become one of the most iconic war movies ever produced. The film drew many respected British actors to accept roles as key figures of the battle, including Sir Laurence Olivier as Hugh Dowding and Trevor Howard as Keith Park. It also starred Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer and Robert Shaw as squadron leaders. As well as its large all-star international cast, the film was notable for its spectacular flying sequences which were on a far grander scale than anything that had been seen on film before. At the time of its release, Battle of Britain was singled out for its efforts to portray the events of the summer of 1940 in great accuracy. To achieve this, Battle of Britain veterans such as Group Captain Tom Gleave, Wing Commander Robert Stanford Tuck, Wing Commander Douglas Bader, Squadron Leader Bolesław Drobiński and Luftwaffe General Adolf Galland were all involved as consultants. This detailed description of the making of the film is supported by a mouth-watering selection of pictures that were taken during the production stages. The images cover not only the many vintage aircraft used in the film, but also the airfields, the actors, and even the merchandise which accompanied the film’s release in 1969 – plus a whole lot more. There are numerous air-to-air shots of the Spitfires, Messerschmitts, Hurricanes and Heinkels that were brought together for the film. There are also images that capture the moment that Battle of Britain veterans, some of whom were acting as consultants, visited the sets. Interviews with people who worked on the film, such as Hamish Mahaddie, John Blake and Ron Goodwin, among others, bring the story to life.

The Battle of Britain

The Battle of Britain PDF Author: James Holland
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0312675003
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 736

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Book Description
"First published in Great Britain by Bantam Press"--T.p. verso.

Unflinching Zeal

Unflinching Zeal PDF Author: Robin Higham
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
ISBN: 1612511120
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
This consequential work by a pioneer aviation historian fills a significant lacuna in the story of the defeat of France in May-June 1940 and more fully explains the Battle of Britain of July–October of that year and the influence it had on the Luftwaffe in the 1941 invasion of the USSR. Robin Higham approaches the subject by sketching the story and status of the three air forces--the Armée de l’Air, the Luftwaffe, and the Royal Air Force--their organization and preparation for their battles. He then dissects the the campaigns, their losses and replacement policies and abilities. He paints the struggles of France and Britain from both the background provided by his recent Two Roads to War: From Versailles to Dunkirk (NIP, 2012) and from the details of losses tabulated by After the Battle’s The Battle of Britain (1982, 2nd ed.) and Peter Cornwell’s The Battle of France Then and Now (2007), as well as in Paul Martin’s Invisible Vainqueurs (1990) and from the Luftwaffe summaries in the British National Archives Cabinet papers. One important finding is that the consumption and wastage was not nearly as high as claimed. The three air forces actually shot down only 19 percent of the number claimed. In the RAF case, in the summer of 1940, 44 percent of those shot down were readily repairable thanks to the salvage and repair organizations. This contrasted with the much lower 8 percent for the Germans and zero for the French. Brave as the aircrews may have been, the inescapable conclusion is that awareness of consumption, wastage, and sustainability were intimately connected to survival.

Big Week

Big Week PDF Author: James Holland
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1473542146
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 624

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Book Description
'James Holland is a master' BBC History It was to be the battle to end the air war once and for all. During the third week of February 1944, the combined Allied air forces launched their first-ever round-the-clock bomber offensive against Germany. The aim was to smash the main factories and production centres of the Luftwaffe and at the same time draw the German fighter force up into the air and into battle. Big Week is the knife-edge story of bomber against flak gun and fighter, but also, crucially, fighter against fighter. Following the fortunes of pilots and aircrew from both sides, this is a blistering narrative of one of the most critical periods of the entire war. Big Week was the largest air battle ever witnessed, but it has been largely forgotten – until now.

Battle of Britain

Battle of Britain PDF Author: Leonard Mosley
Publisher: Time Life Education
ISBN: 9780783557069
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
An account of the aircraft, pilots, tactics, and results of the three-month Battle of Britain in 1940.

Life and Death in the Battle of Britain

Life and Death in the Battle of Britain PDF Author: Guy Mayfield
Publisher: Imperial War Museum
ISBN: 1912423294
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 177

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Book Description
Guy Mayfield was the Station Chaplain at RAF Duxford during the Battle of Britain. His diary is a moving account of the war fought by the young pilots during that summer of 1940, providing a unique and intimate insight into one of the most pivotal moments in British history. Frequently speaking to pilots who knew they may not survive the next 24 hours, Mayfield’s diary provides a vivid account of the fears and hopes of the young men who risked their lives daily for the defense of Britain. Interspersed with photographs of the men and contextual narrative by IWM historian Carl Warner, this book brings a compelling and direct new perspective to this historic battle.

Battle of Britain 1940

Battle of Britain 1940 PDF Author: Doug Dildy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472820576
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 92

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Book Description
A new analysis of the Battle of Britain, told unusually from the perspective of the Luftwaffe, detailing its plans to crush Fighter Command and win the war with air power.

Battle of Britain Day, 15 September 1940

Battle of Britain Day, 15 September 1940 PDF Author: Alfred Price
Publisher: Stackpole Books
ISBN: 9781853673757
Category : Britain, Battle of, Great Britain, 1940
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The Battle of Britain had already been raging across the skies for two months when on 15 September 1940 - commemorated each year since as 'Battle of Britain Day' - the Luftwaffe mounted two huge daylight raids on London. Dr Alfred Price's definitive book, based on interviews with the people involved as well as official records and documents, is the only full-scale work on the events of this pivotal day.