The Spitfire Kids: The generation who built, supported and flew Britain's most beloved fighter

by Alasdair Cross, BBC

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'An inspirational read celebrating the incredible young people who gave so much for this iconic British aircraft'. John Nichol, bestselling author of A Very British Love StoryDespite the many films and television programmes over the decades since the end of the Second World War that portrays our allied heroes as grown-up men and women, the Battle of Britain was in the main actually fought and won by teenagers. The average age of an RAF fighter pilot was just twenty years old. Many of the men and women who designed and built their planes were even younger.Based on the hit BBC World Service podcast The People's Story, we use contemporary diaries and memoirs, many of them previously unpublished, to tell the story of the Spitfire through the voices of the teenagers who risked everything to design, build and fly her.This isn't a story of stiff-upper lips, stoical moustaches and aerial heroics; it's a story of love and loss, a story of young people tested to the very limits of their endurance. Young people who won a battle that turned a war.

Genres: Nonfiction, Historical

375 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2021

Reviews

[Geoffrey Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstandingly well written book about this iconic plane and all who worked to design, build and fly it. Much of book built on contemporary documents and interviews from such people.
Brilliantly sequenced story, as each chapter ends with an enticing question or thought, which is then addressed in the next chapter.
What one might not know about this "icon" is that it went through more than 40 versions in the race against superb German aeronautical skills, and production had to be dispersed into the countryside within weeks of major Southampton bombing raids. Not to mention the propaganda value of "The Spitfire Fund" ...... absolutely fascinating read!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Something inside me gave way… I had reached the pinnacle of my life before the age of twenty-two… I felt destroyed…”
That BROKE me. The Spitfire Kids brought a fantastic perspective to the Battle of Britain that’s only usually mentioned at surface-level, it shows you how deep the iceberg goes. A brilliant blend of the moving personal stories of how everyday lives were transformed by a fervour to never give up in the face of Nazi brutism.

[Linda Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting read. Lots of information, historical detail and information from those who worked on the planes themselves or somewhere in one of the factories. The fear in people's words is palpable but so is the spirit of carrying on doing their jobs and getting through the dangers and the heavy workloads. There's also a sense of fun about it as they clearly had a great time outside work to think of something else just in case this was the last time......

[Anna Schreier · Rating 3 out of 5]

incredibly interesting and detailed with first hand comments of people who actually built and flew this beautiful aircraft back in the day. as an av-geek, this made my heart beat faster.

[Steve Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb read! A very concise detailing of the history of the Spitfire and those involved in its creation and development. Focussing primarily on the role of the young generation that were thrown into the turmoil of the march towards and engagement in World War Two. Spitfire Kids tells what happened without the glamorisation often associated with the amazing aircraft.

[Erin-Lucy Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Everybody spoke about Spitfires and here I was flying one and I wasn't yet nineteen years old."
This was absolutely fascinating, the only reason this didn't get 5 stars was a personal disinterested in the mechanical history.

[Julie Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book. Not the usual kind of book I read. It was engaging and easily readable.

[Paul Fordham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read of how we done a great job in ww2... The plane that saved us and the people who made it happen...

[Geraint · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read, different format from the usual histories of the Spitfire & Battle of Britain.

[Emma Stoakley · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf at 18%

[Neil Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting viewpoint and learnt more about the area I lived and want to research more. Nice easy read but of an important story.

[Teddy Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing stories about the brave young men & women who sacrificed so much and so selflessly.

Job well done 🎖️