The Battle of Britain [antikvár]

Preface ' 1 ^ ifty years on' is a good moment for reappraising, and where pH appropriate celebrating, any great event. Sufficient time has -A- elapsed for it to be seen in historical perspective; nearly all the preserved documentation is usually available; and there are enough of the participants still alive to furnish detail and informed criticism. There are two further reasons which apply especially in the case of the Battle of Britain. The first is that the passing years have only confirmed, what was hoped and thought at the time, that the Battle was one of the great turning-points in World War II - a defensive victory which saved the island base and so, once Russia and the United States became involved, made future offensive victories possible. The second reason is that within these fifty years fresh generations have been born to whom much of the story is unfamiliar. There are indeed already many excellent books concerned with the Battle which they might read with profit, but as many of these are personal memoirs, or relate to particular episodes, or are intended mainly for the scholar or aficionado, it seemed to us that there was still a place for a new narrative intended for the general reader. There are two points of emphasis within the book which may need explanation. The British victory resulted primarily from the fact that when the German threat materialised, there were the means to deal with it. How the RAF managed to survive at all in the 1920s, how an efficient air defence system was created over the years, how modern fighters were developed and brought into service, and how the strength of