Title
The Battle of Britain : five months that changed history, May-October 1940 / James Holland.
Edition
1st U.S. ed.
ISBN
9780312675004
0312675003
Imprint
New York : St. Martin's Press, 2011.
Language
English
Description
677 p., [32] p. of plates : ill., maps ; 25 cm.
Call Number
D756.5.B7 H66 2011
Dewey Decimal Classification
940.54/211
Summary
"If Hitler fails to invade or destroy Britain, he has lost the war," Churchill said in the summer of 194o. He was right. The Battle of Britain was a crucial turning point in the history of the Second World War, and now, acclaimed British historian James Holland has written the definitive account of this battle based on extensive new research from around the world, including thousands of new interviews with people on both sides of the fighting. --
Had Britain's defenses collapsed, Hitler would have dominated all of Europe and been able to turn his full attention east to the Soviet Union. The German invasion of France and the Low Countries in May 1940 was unlike any the world had ever seen. It hit with a force and aggression that no one could counterùand in just a few short weeks. All in their way crumbled under the force of the Nazi hammer blow. With France facing defeat and with British forces pressed back to the Channel, there were few who believed Britain could possibly survive. Soon, it seemed, Hitler would have all of Europe at his feet. Yet Hitler's forces were not quite the Goliath they at first appeared to be and Germany's leadership lacked the single-minded purpose, vision, and direction that had led to such success on land. Nor was Britain any David. Thanks to a sophisticated defensive system and the combined efforts of the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy as well as the mounting sense of collective defiance led by a new prime minister, Britain was not ready to give in to the Nazi onslaught. --
From clashes between coastal convoys and Schnellboote in the Channel to astonishing last stands in Flanders, and from the slaughter by the U-boats in the icy Atlantic to the dramatic aerial battles over England, James Holland's The Battle of Britain paints a complete picture of that extraordinary summerùa time in which the fate of the world truly hung by a thread. --Book Jacket.
Note
"First published in Great Britain by Bantam Press"--T.p. verso.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Miracles. First flight ; The eve of battle ; The go-for-broke gamble ; Hook, line and sinker ; The first clash in the air ; Breakthrough ; Inside the Third Reich ; A battle against time ; The battle is lost ; Emergency measure ; Learning the lessons ; What to do for the best ; New appointments ; Decisions ; Fighter command enters the fray ; Crisis ; Black Monday ; Dunkirk : the beginning ; Dunkirk : in the balance ; Dunkirk : the middle ; Dunkirk : the end
Respite. What next? ; The end in France ; Hitler's dilemma ; All alone ; Getting ready ; Trouble at sea : part 1 ; Bringing it all together ; Trouble at sea : part 2 ; Crooked leg
Kanalkampf. First combat ; Peace offerings ; The besieged ; Hotting up ; Bombs on Germany, Bomben auf England
Battle over Britain. The wall of England ; Adlertag ; The biggest air battle ; The hardest day ; Bombs on Berlin ; Tactics and technicalities ; Breaking point ; Black Saturday ; Summer madness ; The crux ; Wolfpack ; Exhaustion ; Last flight.
