Dilip Sarkar has studied the Battle of Britain period for a
lifetime and is renowned for his meticulous research and
evidence-based approach, setting events within the broadest
possible context. In doing so, he has helped enrich our
appreciation and understanding of the past. In this, the first of a
new eight volume series on the Battle of Britain, we have the
background to the aerial conflict of the summer of 1940 revealed in
great detail and told comprehensively as never before. No stone has
been left unturned, no angle unexplored. This meticulous approach
the research, combined with the human stories and events, many
revealed for the first time, tells what Dilip calls 'the Big
Story'. The development of air power, the creation of Britain's
defences, the German side, the Home Front and political events are
all covered - and much more. After considering the background
threads prior to the outbreak of war in 1939, this book then
describes the developing conflict on land, sea and in the air. The
German invasion of Norway, the Fall of France and the air fighting
over Dunkirk are all explored, along with Hitler's actual preferred
policy towards Britain, which at first was one of blockade - not
invasion. The author, with justification, questions the validity of
the Battle of Britain's official start-date being 10 July 1940,
evidencing the fact that the fighting actually began eight days
earlier. From that date onwards, a day-by-day, hour-by-hour,
account of the fighting is provided, giving due recognition to
those aircrew lost or wounded before 10 July 1940, and whose names
are not, therefore, found amongst 'The Few'. Due accord is also
given to the Royal Navy, and efforts of both Bomber and Coastal
commands, emphasising just what a 'big' story this actually is -
far from simply concerning a handful of Spitfire and Hurricane
pilots. Through diligent research with crucial official primary
sources and personal papers, Dilip unravels many myths, often
challenging the accepted narrative. This is not, however, simply
another dull record of combat losses and claims, far from it.
Drawing upon unique first-hand accounts from a wide-range of
combatants and eyewitnesses, along with the daily Home Intelligence
Reports and the papers of politicians such as Italian Foreign
Minister Count Ciano, this really is an unprecedented approach to
understanding the build-up to and times of the Battle of Britain.
General
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