The Battle of Britain Experience by Richard Overy

A detailed account of a game-changing campaign gives voice to those involved

This month marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Britain when Britain was the last country standing in the way of Hitler’s plans for European domination. The Battle of Britain, the first major campaign fought entirely by air forces, is regarded as pivotal to the Allies’ fortunes in the Second World War. Victory for the British meant that a stronghold was maintained from which operations to recapture Europe from the Germans could be launched. 

The Battle of Britain, which saw sustained aerial bombing on an unprecedented scale, is lovingly commemorated in University of Exeter historian Richard Overy’s book which includes reproductions of maps, diaries and documents from the period as well as a detailed analysis. 

Documents in the Battle of Britain Experience include the notes given to Spitfire pilots on how to perform aerobatics, RAF intelligence reports and maps used by Luftwaffe bomber crews. Biographies of ace pilots, military chiefs and a section on the sometimes neglected role of women during the battle as volunteers to the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force complete a rich volume.

• The Battle of Britain Experience by Richard Overy, Carlton Books, £30, ISBN 1847325310