The Battle Of Britain: Myth And Reality (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
An excellent myth-busting work my Richard Overy, who exposes many of the illusions that Britons seem to hold regarding the Battle of Britain. Britain did not, for example, far fewer planes and pilots that Nazi Germany during the battle (British output was actually double that of Germany throughout); the Germans did not engage in mass bombings of British cities (this came much later in the war: it was only the inaccurate bombing of the day - for which Britain was equally culpable - which led to civilian deaths in 1940); Churchill was not, not this early at least, the light in a time of darkness ("We shall win, but not because we deserve it... not because of our intelligence"). Overy also sets about bringing to light some uncomfortable truths. British High Command appears to have been worried by how an invasion in 1940 would have been met by the working class public, part of which had shown more than a little apathy to the thought of Nazi occupation.As well as digging out the usual sources in which Hitler bemoans British (obstinacy not because he particularly wanted to invade but because he had hoped that the Third Reich and the British Empire could peacefully coexist), Overy also highlights the arrogance of Goebbels' and the German flight command. For example, at one point the British captured a 47 year-old journalist who had been trained and had flown a dozen missions in order to write a book on the Wehrmacht.Humourous tales aside, the author also informs us of British incompetence in the early days of the battle (it was not unheard of for German pilots who stalled over Britain to land on British airstrips and take off again!) and comments on how the battle's name happened almost by accident.
Richard Overy has produced another* superb book here. Not a right lot longer than I imagine the pamphlet it mentions at the end that was produced about the battle - that was the first to coin the phrase 'The Battle of Britain' - this is a concise, considered and thoroughly enjoyable snapshot of a few months in late 1940. A few months that have gone a long way to defining the fighting spirit of us British.It does indeed strip away the myth and present the reality of what actually happened in that late summer and autumn. How many we're 'the few', how many we're they up against? How much do we, the 'many', owe them?Every one - every British person of a certain age, that is - is surely certain they know what happened and who we owe our thanks to. We do, and then again, this book shows we don't. Read this and you will understand much more about something you thought you knew all about.Thoroughly enjoyable.*Everyone should read 'Russia's War' by Richard Overy as well.
What do You think about The Battle Of Britain: Myth And Reality (2010)?
Excellent historical analysis of why Hitler was both hesitant to and ultimately unable to invade the British Isles. Explodes a number of popular misunderstandings as to why this happened. Although highly touted, the German war machine was underproducing fighters and bombers while losing them at a faster rate because of British resolve, the limited accuracy of the German bombing campaign, and the strategic efficiency of Britain's radar, air defense, and intelligence operations. Good book! I learned a lot.
—Doug Nagel
