The Battle of Britain: Myth and Reality

Description

The definitive short account of history's most famous air battle The Battle of Britain tells the extraordinary story of one of the pivotal events of the Second World War - the struggle between British and German air forces in the late summer and autumn of 1940. Exposing many of the myths surrounding the conflict, the book provides answers to important questions- how close did Britain really come to invasion? What were Hitler and Churchill's motives? And what was the battle's real effect on the outcome of the war? Told with great clarity and objectivity, this is a superb introduction to a defining moment in our history. 'No individual British victory after Trafalgar was more decisive in challenging the course of a major war than was the Battle of Britain ... In his carefully argued, clearly explained and impressively documented book ... Richard Overy is at pains to dispose of the myths and expose the real history of what he does not doubt was a great British victory ... the best historical analysis in readable form which has yet appeared on this prime subject' Noble Frankland, The Times Literary Supplement

Richard Overy is Professor of History at the University of Exeter. His books include Why the Allies Won, Russia's War, The Morbid Age, and The Dictators, which won the Wolfson and the Hessell Tiltman Prizes for history in 2005.

As an objective reassessment of this most critical of struggles, cogently argued and concisely written, The Battle of Britain is hard to beat -- Saul David * Sunday Telegraph * A captivating and readable analysis of the fragile circumstances of Britain's victory * Observer * Succeeds brilliantly ... puts the battle in context, and along the way a lot of myths bite the dust -- Robin Knight * Time * Brilliant * The Economist *