Battle of Britain

Dr Alfred Price, who is a recognised and respected authority on the Battle of Britain, recounts the story of the conflict, both in terms of the strategic and tactical battle between two mighty air forces of the day and the fascinating and often traumatic human element as the civilians of Britain faced the reality of German invasion.

The book starts with the skirmishes across the Channel in the opening phase of the battle, 10 July-12 August, testing Britain's defences, then the Luftwaffe's main assault on the airfields and radar installations of Southern England from 12 August to 6 September, when it attempted to knock out the RAF.

The turning point came when the Luftwaffe, faced with mounting losses, shifted its focus to London and other cities in early September in a final attempt to break Britain's morale, giving the RAF a much-needed breathing space to build up its strength and counter the enemy.

Once it became clear to the Germans that they could not achieve air superiority they switched their focus to the night-time bombing raids on centres of population - the Blitz - and the Battle of Britain was over. The book includes personal accounts of the combatants from both sides, both flying crews and ground staff, as well as eye-witness accounts of civilians caught up in the battle illustrate in a dramatic and informative new way key moments and phases during the Battle.

Equal attention is given to both the 'human' and 'machine' aspects and the book features photographs of airfields, control stations and plotting and sector operations rooms, pilots, ground crews, female auxiliaries, the civilian front, anti-aircraft, searchlights, radar stations as well as Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Command aircraft giving a true picture of the scale of the Battle and how it touched the lives of so many civilians when the homeland truly became the front line of World War 2.

The text is supplemented with over 200 photographs sourced from private archives, including hitherto unseen pictures together with newly commissioned colour graphics.