Summary
During the summer of 1940, the fate of the world hung in the balance as Adolf Hitler's powerful air force, the Luftwaffe, contested the skies above southern England with Britain's Royal Air Force. A handful of brave but outnumbered RAF pilots, many hailing from outside the United Kingdom, fought desperately to hold the Nazi juggernaut back and, in doing so, defend Britain from invasion. In Prime Minister Winston Churchill's immortal words, those brave RAF pilots were "the few" on whom so much depended.
Illustrated with full-color and black-and-white photographs, and accompanied by a chronology, bibliography, and further resources, The Battle of Britain, Updated Edition traces the origins and course of the Battle of Britain, examining the reasons why Great Britain found itself in such a desperate situation in the summer of 1940, and why, for all their advantages, the Germans were confounded at what seemed to be the brink of victory. Historical spotlights and excerpts from primary sources are also included.
About the Author(s)
ALAN ALLPORT grew up in Whiston, England, and moved to the United States when he was 24. He received a doctorate in history from the University of Pennsylvania in 2007. In addition to writing numerous books for Chelsea House, Allport is the author of Demobbed: Coming Home after World War Two. He lives near Philadelphia with his family.