Books Reviews

The Battle of Britain – Book Review

By Angela Youngman Jun 6, 2011, 17:10 GMT

This has to be one of the most exhaustive, encyclopedic books on the Battle of Britain that has ever been written.  It is definitely comprehensive, covering every possible aspect of the battle. 

Unusually, it is the first such book to be told from both sides and uses lots of real life accounts.  The book offers lots of new perspectives on this battle, which was undoubtedly one of the key moments in British history.  He looks at the role played by the splits in the German high command, as well as the dramatic split in the Britain's War Cabinet. 

The story of the battle is widened out to show how it impacted on other aspects such as the activities of U-boats and E-boats, and the economic blockade.  While the problems faced by the Royal Air Force are well known, until now less attention has been paid to the problems of battle fatigue and aircraft shortage faced by the Luftwaffe. 

Holland combines detailed research with a very readable narrative, which takes you steadily through from start to finish of the battle.  His style is easy to read, despite the sheer size of the book (800+ pages!). 

A blockbuster of a book it does reflect the similar nature of the material.  This is a book that will be valued and enjoyed by anyone who likes military history, or is fascinated by the Second World War era.