Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain

by Tim Clayton

AGAINST ALL ODDS
Sixty years ago, Europe lay at the feet of Adolf Hitler. Standing between Hitler and world domination was the just-appointed Prime Minister Winston Churchill...and a few hundred pilots in the Royal Air Force's Fighter Command. Defeat seemed inevitable. Instead, a legend was born.
Taking its readers on a breathtaking journey from open lifeboats in North Atlantic gales to the cockpits of burning fighter planes, Finest Hour re-creates the tensions and uncertainties of the events of 1940 -- months when the fate of the world truly hung in the balance. It is a powerful account, told through the voices, diaries, letters, and memoirs of the men and women who lived and loved, fought and died, during that terrible yet ultimately triumphant year. The personal stories of these soldiers and airmen, diplomats and politicians, journalists and spies, are combined with a fresh and often controversial account of the swirling political intrigues and betrayals of the period.
A testament to a year when a nation's darkest hour became its finest, Finest Hour is a singular achievement and an indispensable contribution to the literature of World War II.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, World War II, Aviation, Military Fiction, Military History

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Jill H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book and I have read several about the Battle of Britain a subject of which I never tire. This history covers the months of May through October of 1940 when Hitler was gobbling up Europe with his eyes set on Britain. His plan was to bomb England into submitting to a "plan" with the Nazis and if they refused (which of course they did) he would then hit them with an invasion (Operation Sea Lion). Along with his invasion of Russia,this was his worst mistake. We know, of course, that Operation Sea Lion was never implemented.

The author uses the experiences and attitudes of the citizens, government. military, and volunteers, who suffered under the Blitz to craft an inclusive history of the defiance of a country which would not give up and lived by the slogan "Keep calm and carry on". The master of the English language, PM Winston churchill, gave his finest speeches which have come down through history and he stated "We shall never surrender". And they did not.

The book sets the stage by giving a short history of the build up to the Blitz, concentrating on the fall of France, and the hesitation of the US to send aid to Britain which it so desperately needed. But the main narrative is of how and why Britain prevailed through the eyes of those who were there.

This is one of, if not the best, of the books on the Blitz with personal stories that will make you weep and cheer. I highly recommend it.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I have read anything on a WWII topic that I enjoyed as much as I did this book. The authors have taken anecdotal experiences from a number of men and women actually involved in the Battle of Britain and have woven these precious threads into the main historical account of Britain's darkest hour.

I fancied myself to be as informed as the average bear when it came to WWII historical events, but this book was a treasury of historical minutiae to which I had been totally oblivious. For instance, I had no idea that the Royal Navy had attacked the French Navy near Algeria in 1940. The Brits killed more of their former allies in this single engagement than they had killed Germans in all the hostilities to that date. And who knew that England had ordered the internment of Italians who were in residence on the island? Or that Oberleutnant Gerhard Schopfel managed the amazing feat of shooting down four Brit fighter aircraft in a single pass?

Of course, this story could not be told without relating the political machinations that send these men and women out to kill or be killed. This is spongy ground: too much political b.s. can bring a reader down and cause the story to drag. In this book, the politics are doled out in small and measured doses, just enough to give you an insight into the political thinking of the time without causing you to lose track of the story. Politicians aren't very interesting except as a study in deceit and mass manipulation, for the most part. I did develop a new respect for William Lyon Mackenzie King, our Canadian Prime Minister at the time. I had always considered him a bit of a religious crackpot and had no idea that he was so instrumental in moving Roosevelt to finally help England out, although it did not escape my notice that Roosevelt didn't come across until he was sure the aid wouldn't hurt him politically. Typical politician: never mind what is good for the country or the world - the priority is to get your own ass re-elected! To Mr King, my posthumous and belated respect and admiration.

I heartily recommend this very nicely written and touching book to anyone. Even those who don't particularly care for military history will not be unmoved by this account; thoroughly researched, thoughtfully laid out, and generously illustrated with photographs.

[KOMET · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers the period May - November 1940 when Britain was in its most precarious position, struggling for its very survival.

Through diary extracts and personal interviews (from the survivors) by both authors, you get a really tangible sense of the urgency, fear, hope and danger that the British lived with during that time. Among the people profiled in this book were:

i) a British tank commander who fought against Rommel's "Ghost Division" (the 7th Panzer Division) during the spring fighting in Northern France, barely escaping capture, and later managing to escape to England

ii) an RAF fighter pilot who flew Hurricanes in France and later over England

iii) a WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) fighter controller

iv) an American journalist with connections to both Roosevelt and Churchill

v) a young sailor in the Royal Navy, who assisted in the evacuation of Allied military personnel from Dunkirk and later served in a naval task force Churchill sent to Oran to attack the surface vessels of the French Navy stationed there, so as not to allow those ships to come under German control following the French surrender.

If you are one of those readers who seeks to find a "real and human" connection with what the Second World War was like, you can't go wrong with "THE FINEST HOUR".

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to get a feeling for how desperate the situation for Great Britain was in 1940, Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain is the book for you. The scene begins in May 1940, just before the Nazis launch their blitzkrieg on Western Europe. The story will finish in November 1940. In between you will follow soldiers, sailors, fighter pilots, WAAFs and WRENS, parents, kids, politicians and many others as the war progresses. This is not a blow-by-blow accounting but a collection of many vignettes. Some are followed throughout the story and some make brief but unforgettable appearances. Here’s one:

Carefully Leggett peered out from the balcony to the right. There was machine-gun fire coming from the wrong direction. “Then, about 120 yards away I saw a body. I didn’t know who it was, a body crawling with his rifle in front, toward the river, over open ground.” An English soldier was stalking the machine-gun nest that the Germans had set up on A Company’s right flank. The machine gunners hadn’t seen the Englishman. Every few seconds he edged closer and closer toward the German gun, inches above the ground, supported on his elbows. Then Leggett saw a second machine gun setting up close by on the German side The Englishman couldn’t see this. Leggett watched fascinated as the soldier crawled closer, inch by inch. Then, suddenly, the soldier stood up, lobbed a grenade and shot the machine gunners as they scattered. Such bravery. At that instant the other German machine gun opened up and the Englishman toppled. Leggett felt a cheer die in his throat. It looked as if someone had sawn his nameless hero in half. And then bullets hit the desk in front of Leggett. He ducked and trained his rifle through a crack. He did not know it until later but he had just seen his company sergeant major, George Gristock, win the Victoria Cross. He died later of his wounds.

After France falls, the action is focused on Britain. Not all stories are heroic or pleasant. A survivor of the British Army in France goes in search of a member of his regiment when he gets to England after Dunkirk: (graphic)

Vaux was very fond of him. After considerable effort, he eventually found him in a lunatic asylum in Susan.
He went to the hospital and there he was, sitting up in bed looking perfectly well. The two men were delighted to see each other and they talked for a while and Vaux answered all the man’s questions about the regiment and about who had survived and who had been killed. Then the man said: ‘Shall I tell you what happened to me in France, sir?’ And I said, please do. ‘Well’ he said, ‘I was on my motorcycle doing a job for the colonel and I was at a crossroads in a village and there were masses of refugees there, there was quite a traffic jam. And the Germans came over and they bombed it, and it was a dreadful scene and I was blown off my motorcycle and I found myself beside a little boy of about five and he’d had his legs blown off. And he was blinded in one eye and he was in terrible pain and I took him in my arms and I could see he was dying and I took out my revolver and I shot him, sir. I did do right didn’t I?’ I said, ‘Yes, you did do right, I would have done the same.’ And we talked of other things, and then he said, ‘Shall I tell you what happened to me in France, sir?’ and he did it again all the way through. And then the nurse came in and she said, ‘You must leave him now.’ And I said, ‘Does he do that all the time?’ She said, ‘He never stops. Over and over and over again he tells that story And I don’t know whether we’ll ever be able to cure him.’

Some stories do bring the wry British humor to light. For example, when US broadcaster Ed Murrow goes to play golf at Hampstead Heath, the rules committee decides that bomb craters were a natural hazard and if your ball landed in one, you get a free drop. Piccadilly Circus/Regent Palace Hotel gets a reputation…it is known as the Canadian Riding School. An older English fellow complains to some American reporters about the Germans bombing all the little churches and pubs…and smiles to say: “they missed the pub”.

The impact that Churchill has on the populace and his fellow politicians is covered wonderfully. Clayton and Craig are able to give a vivid picture in a few words. US Ambassador Joseph Kennedy does not fare well, a Nazi sympathizer and defeatist who is not trusted by Roosevelt to give a fair evaluation. Roosevelt is not the visionary risk-taker trying to support the UK covertly. Roosevelt’s first reaction when the Brits ask for support is to try to get a commitment that the Royal Navy will be turned over to the US if things don’t go well for Britain. The heartless, cold-blooded bastard…except that was probably the exact right thing to do. The spectre of a combined French, Italian, and Royal Navy joining the German Navy would doom the New World for a long time. It irritated Churchill immensely but Churchill demanded the same thing from the French…and then tried to destroy parts of the French fleet when the French did not comply.

Mostly the book takes you on a wild ride through the era as told by the men, women and children who lived it. Highly recommended. My one complaint is no maps…got to take away a star for that. 4 Stars

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fair general overview of the Battle of Britain and the events leading up to it, with some interesting parts on the lives of otherwise ordinary Britons caught up in the events, including a soldier in the Royal Tank Regiment who fought in the gallant but doomed counterattack at Arras in May 1940, a sailor onboard the ancient battleship HMS Resolution, and, most affectingly, the story of Edith Heap, a WAAF, and Denis Wissler, an RAF Hurricane pilot who she was engaged to, and who was killed in action in October, 1940.

I'm not sure if this is the best introduction to the Battle of Britain, but it contains many deeply moving snapshots of a time when, as Churchill said, "it was equally good to live or die". One of the most affecting for me, personally, was a British soldier who, whilst on the retreat to Dunkirk, espied a lone French soldier, stoically manning an antitank gun, waiting for the Germans to come. There can only have been one outcome to that story, but we are left only to imagine it.

[Tim Corke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hopefully this isn't a cop-out but I found this review after reading Finest Hour and it articulates my thoughts more clearly than I ever could. Thank you Jim.

It has been a long time since I have read anything on a WWII topic that I enjoyed as much as I did this book. The authors have taken anecdotal experiences from a number of men and women actually involved in the Battle of Britain and have woven these precious threads into the main historical account of Britain's darkest hour.

I fancied myself to be as informed as the average bear when it came to WWII historical events, but this book was a treasury of historical minutiae to which I had been totally oblivious. For instance, I had no idea that the Royal Navy had attacked the French Navy near Algeria in 1940. The Brits killed more of their former allies in this single engagement than they had killed Germans in all the hostilities to that date. And who knew that England had ordered the internment of Italians who were in residence on the island? Or that Oberleutnant Gerhard Schopfel managed the amazing feat of shooting down four Brit fighter aircraft in a single pass?

Of course, this story could not be told without relating the political machinations that send these men and women out to kill or be killed. This is spongy ground: too much political b.s. can bring a reader down and cause the story to drag. In this book, the politics are doled out in small and measured doses, just enough to give you an insight into the political thinking of the time without causing you to lose track of the story. Politicians aren't very interesting except as a study in deceit and mass manipulation, for the most part. I did develop a new respect for William Lyon Mackenzie King, our Canadian Prime Minister at the time. I had always considered him a bit of a religious crackpot and had no idea that he was so instrumental in moving Roosevelt to finally help England out, although it did not escape my notice that Roosevelt didn't come across until he was sure the aid wouldn't hurt him politically. Typical politician: never mind what is good for the country or the world - the priority is to get your own ass re-elected! To Mr King, my posthumous and belated respect and admiration.

I heartily recommend this very nicely written and touching book to anyone. Even those who don't particularly care for military history will not be unmoved by this account; thoroughly researched, thoughtfully laid out, and generously illustrated with photographs.

[Joe Conley · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books about The Battle of Britain that I've ever read. Lots of details I was familiar with, others that were not. One thing I found particularly effective is the authors choose to basically tell the story from the viewpoints and quotations from around a dozen characters, rather than trying to literally cover everything.

It also contains two of the most unpleasant and heart-wrenching war stories I've ever read. One I won't spoil, the other you can read here, if you really want to:

Vaux was very fond of him. After considerable effort, he eventually found him in a lunatic asylum in Susan.

He went to the hospital and there he was, sitting up in bed looking perfectly well. The two men were delighted to see each other and they talked for a while and Vaux answered all the man’s questions about the regiment and about who had survived and who had been killed. Then the man said: ‘Shall I tell you what happened to me in France, sir?’ And I said, please do. ‘Well’ he said, ‘I was on my motorcycle doing a job for the colonel and I was at a crossroads in a village and there were masses of refugees there, there was quite a traffic jam. And the Germans came over and they bombed it, and it was a dreadful scene and I was blown off my motorcycle and I found myself beside a little boy of about five and he’d had his legs blown off. And he was blinded in one eye and he was in terrible pain and I took him in my arms and I could see he was dying and I took out my revolver and I shot him, sir. I did do right didn’t I?’ I said, ‘Yes, you did do right, I would have done the same.’ And we talked of other things, and then he said, ‘Shall I tell you what happened to me in France, sir?’ and he did it again all the way through. And then the nurse came in and she said, ‘You must leave him now.’ And I said, ‘Does he do that all the time?’ She said, ‘He never stops. Over and over and over again he tells that story And I don’t know whether we’ll ever be able to cure him.’



Yikes.

Really good book, I strongly recommend.

[Scott L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a bad book; unfortunately it's not an excellent one either. The author follows several personalities throughout the book as each person experiences the Battle of Britain (1940) in their own words. Unfortunately, in telling the individual stories, some of the overarching themes of the Battle of Britain are lost to the reader. The reader has to either know the story of the battle very well to follow the action, or the reader has to surmise from the clues given by the author as to what is going on. As a teller of the individual stories, this book is very well written. It just does not suffice to tell the actual story of the Battle of Britain, and the reader who is reading for that purpose is probably going to be very confused. I can recommend this book only if you are interested in the individual reactions of the British to the battle, or if you know the battle well enough to be able to understand the stories in context.

[Aaron Kendal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and full of first person accounts of those who fought in and experienced the Battle of Britain, this book is a wonderful source of the narratives of those who were there at the time - men, women and children, pilots, soldiers, sailors, politicians, newspapermen and more.

Lots of interesting historical detail of the Fall of France and the lead up to the Battle of Britain. There's a very high-level account of the relationship between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Mackenzie-King and the politics and changes in the Atlantic relationship that the Battle caused.

While it gives a good strategic overview, it is not a book to comprehensively learn all about the Battle of Britain. Instead, it is a nice deep look at the experiences and stories of a few who are intimately or peripherally involved in the battle on land, sea, and in the air.

A very worthy addition to any library about World War 2.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread in April 2018 after reading many times before over the last 20 years.

An exhilarating if terrifying (and tragic for all lives lost) time in British history for all involved. The evacuation of Dunkirk followed by the Battle of Britain meant that Britain survived until America joined the war and showed America there was a reason to join. A fast paced book with so many fascinating characters, tragedy and excitement intermingling. A great introduction to this part of the war. Was compelled to reading it again after reading Darkest Hour.

[Anthony Bracciante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the events that led up to the Battle of Britain from the beginning of WW II from the perspective of first person accounts of soldiers in the British Expeditionary Force, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force. politicians on both sides of the Atlantic and American journalists in Europe. The book then details the actual battle itself and how the fate of Britain was decided in the skies above it by the courage of those who fought it; and the resilience of those on the ground who endured the nightly bombardments especially of London.

[Kathryn Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerat Book! I liked the way it followed different people throughout the months, a range of folk from the pilots to journalists, to the Navy, highlighting and weaving together ALL the different strands involved in the Battle of Britain, not 'just' the pilots.

I liked the honest, easily - accessible, storytelling way the book was written. And the pauses between people and stories meant you could take a break from reading without feeling you had to 'reach the end of the chapter'.

I also liked the way it told the full breath of stories and people, the deaths as well as the lives.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally read books like this one, but decided to pick up as a bit of recreational study before starting university last summer. That was one of the best ideas I've had!
It is an eye-opener of what actually happened and from all view points. It tell the happenings in a story-like manner, and beautifully incorporates detailed witness accounts/memoirs. It is a very well planned out book.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book would be mostly about the RAF air battles however it took a much broader view of the Battle of Britain. I enjoyed it immensely and believe anyone wanting to get a sense of it all will want to read this book. It really puts the war in focus in the beginning as Great Britain stood virtually alone against Germany. Well worth the read!!

[R.J. Southworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through focussing on particular individuals, this tells the story of Britain in 1940 in a very engaging way, effectively conveying the struggle and effort of those involved in the fighting and the civilians in the middle.

[Hermano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was really surprised how much I enjoyed this book. It’s funny, sad, heartbreaking, and courageous. It captures the personal side of everyday people under extreme circumstances.

[Brad Mclean · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it.

[Michael Koch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was originally written and published in 1999. It covers activities of the Second World War beginning on May 10, 1940, and ending in November 1940. The value of this book is the personal stories it tells of real soldiers, sailors and RAF personnel, engaged civilians (fire fighters, medics and rescue crews), US press based in Britain, Winston Churchill and staff, and other interesting people. All the stories cover active hands-on roles in the war. Some were active combatants, some more senior, and some were not combatants. Some were working as hard as they could to get USA assistance for Britain, others were fighting to ensure the USA did not become engaged in the war at all, at any level. The details of these stories were collected from the participants, their dairies, their superiors or staff and other documents produced at the time.

The story begins May 10, 1940, eight months after the war began. Britain and France have mobilized and established positions in northern France. Norway has been invaded, Prime Minister Chamberlain is on his way out, but his replacement has not been determined. On that date, Germany invades Denmark, Holland and Belgium. These three democratic countries invite Britain and France to help them militarily. They both agree and their armies immediately move north into Belgium and Holland. Germany begins to bomb France, but their army is not yet in France. Has the Battle of France begun? The Battle of Britain has not yet begun.

Germany invades the BENELUX countries first, as a ploy to lure the French and British armies north. The German plan is to isolate those armies from the south and destroy them in detail. The British fight several vicious battles with the Germans who bomb BENELUX civilians and throw their governments into chaos. These governments quickly surrender, opening another flank on the north and endangering the British and French armies on three fronts: north, east and south. Significant effort is made by the British military to stop the Germans in the north and east. They also send armour to the south to assist the French in stopping the Germans and protecting the rear. Canadians might be surprised that a nasty armoured battle took place on Vimy Ridge very near the Canadian Great War memorial. The British were winning this battle until the Germans were able to deploy newer, much larger tanks and destroy the British armour. German General Erwin Rommel, future desert fox, played a significant role in this battle although it is not mentioned in this book.

The confusion faced by participants in these events is made very clear as they are passed information by one government or one branch of government only to be informed differently within a day. This of course only requires revision after revision. This impacted civilians too as they were informed where bomb shelters were located, then they were changed. Guidance regarding relocation of children was given, then revised, then rescinded. Major activities that occurred during this period included the naming of Winston Churchill as Prime Minister, recovery of most of the British and French armies from Dunkirk, the start and finish of the Battle of Britain, Hitler’s order and ultimate cancelation to invade Britain, the re-election of President Roosevelt, the USA decision to provide Britain with 50 obsolete destroyers and Churchill’s decisions to ensure France’s Navy does not fall into the hands of Germany or Italy and to ensure Italy’s Navy does not control the Mediterranean. Perhaps even more important, America’s attitude towards involvement in this war, and support of Britain, changes 100% from highly negative to highly positive.

Most readers will be aware that these things happened. I was less clear about the efforts and activities required to accomplish these results. This book is excellent at telling the stories of how all this came about and its impact on Britain and the RAF. Five Stars

[Jean Bonilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping account of Britain’s brave stand at a crucial moment in world history. Truly incredible to read of how close we came to losing in those months of 1940! In the government, Winston Churchill alone defended his beloved country against compromise and submission to the Nazis. Roosevelt’s victory in the election that year opened the way for the United States to help Britain, but prior to that we really were not able to give them much of anything in the way of assistance. The political environment was too fraught and voices in the U.S. of people like Lindbergh and Oswald Mosley were too persuasive. Those mothball boats, like the ones that I used to see in the Carquinez Straits when we drove to Vallejo, were a pathetic offering to a desperate ally.

Among other things, the heroic battle of this tiny country against seemingly insurmountable odds helped convince Americans that the Brits were not a bunch of elitist public school boys with their cricket and five o’clock cocktails, but gritty fighters for democracy just like us. As the reports of their determination came flowing back across the Atlantic, support for aid rose exponentially. Reporting by journalists like Edward R. Murrow, Ben Robertson, and Whitelaw Reíd of the New York Herald Tribune helped turn the tide.

This book portrays individuals and therefore offers very personal accounts of the island’s struggle. Descriptions of London’s horrific experience beggar the imagination. Of course I’ve read about the blitz, but even in make-shift shelters, people were not safe. Sometimes a bomb went right into it and killed everyone. The story of the school where Ada Taylor’s family took refuge was ghastly. Worst of all, not knowing how many were in a bombed location to start meant authorities didn’t know who had died. Yet, the British never gave up, they never spoke of surrender. And of course, Queen Elizabeth’s famous words after Buckingham Palace was hit - “l’m glad we’ve been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face.”

I did shed many tears. (I always cry over books.) it is that kind of book - human, compelling, personal, real, and history.

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the companion book to a PBS documentary series from 1999 about the Battle of Britain. They were fortunate to interview a number of people who were active in various aspects of the war. Consequently, while the book provides an overview of the political and military situation, it is principally told through the voices of the people they interviewed, giving a highly personal account of the events.

This provides a “you are there” perspective that fills out different aspects of the war – fighter pilots, radar plotters, civilians, news correspondents – but this is not the place to get a broad, well-rounded history of the early part of the war. The chronology begins in May 1940 and ends in November of that year. While a fair amount of time in the early part of the book deals with the war in France and the battles before and during the evacuation at Dunkirk, the perspective is from the Britons throughout, not the French, Germans, or Belgians.

And while there is some discussion of America's involvement (or lack thereof at this time), there is a single American correspondent who is one of the viewpoint characters. America's isolationist attitude in 1940 does not come off very well; we forget how isolationist and unhelpful we were as a country from 1939 through 1940, until Roosevelt was re-elected and began the Lend-Lease program. “Our” war began on Dec. 7, 1941, and we were not deeply engaged in the two years of war prior to that.

The value of this book is the personal accounts from people who are presumably no longer with us.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to GR friend, Jill, for recommending this exceptional account not only of the Battle of Britain but the events leading up to the blitz. My father was a bombardier based in England whose B17 was shot down towards the very end of the war (co-pilot killed) so I have always been fascinated especially stories about the air war over Europe (My Dad didn't talk about his experiences until late in his life when he drove my Mom crazy touring every B17 exhibit he could find!) This book does feature many detailed first hand accounts of the air war, but it is really so much more. You'll gain insight into the political behind-the scenes maneuvering with some fun anecdotes about Churchill, but also the stories of soldiers, sailors, the women supporting them, reporters and the day to day Londoners and what they experienced. You'll laugh or at least smile at some of the tales, get teary-eyed (or, at least, I did) at others. If you like history (especially about this era) but you prefer that it read like the human drama it was, this is a great choice for you.

[Patrick Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent testament to the people whose courage laid the groundwork for the destruction of the Nazi regime. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a few pilots in the Royal Air Force's Fighter Command sieze victory from the jaws of defeat of the naysayers. It brings the personal stories of these soldiers and airmen, diplomats and politicians, and journalists to life. Really a great read.

[Jenn Seefeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s dry - as most history nonfiction books are. It interweaves different people stories specifically during 1940 and mostly all British perspectives.

It’s made to go with a PBS series with the same name and unfortunately I couldn’t find that series. Really great book that gets you different perspectives during this time period.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5. Engaging, informative and interesting read. Wasn't prepared for Denis' death at the end. Quite a blow which really emphasizes the true cost of war and the sacrifices made by regular people.

[Rodeweeks · Rating 3 out of 5]

As horrifying as it is exciting. Poetic ending.

[Nolan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Herky-jerky, awful, there have to be better histories of this out there. this book needed Ritalin bad! Written clearly by a couple of TV types--tiny scenes, cut, tiny scenes, cut ... Ridiculous.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
The story of the RAF and the Battle of Britain, is, simply, amazing. Britain was so close to losing. The sheer will of Winston Churchill and the British people gave them the drive to keep fighting. This is not my usual type of read, and I'll admit it took me a little while to get into it, but I couldn't help feeling immense gratitude towards the men and women whose stories tell the story of a nation.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best point of view books i have ever read...
I can't stress how this book touched me... I never thought something like this could but it truly did...

It is really about what happen on the ground form people that were there...

It is amazing more people should read this book... it will change things... if not after in time...

[Jan C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a tie-in to a PBS program. I don't remember the show. Maybe I will see of I can find it on Netflix or PBS streaming.

Interesting tale of the Battle of Britain hung on individual stories of people who were there - a couple of RAF pilots, a WAAF, some of the East Enders seeking shelter from the bombs, Navy and merchant marine personnel.

[Mathias Seiwert · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Powerful account--in their own words--of some of the brave men and women who stood strong in the face of the imposing Nazi onslaught in 1940. Adds fuel to my own fiery desire to display such bravery, excellence, selflessness, strength and perseverance in my own daily life."