The Battle of Britain

The Battle of Britain was the World War II air campaign waged by the Luftwaffe against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force, especially Fighter Command. The name derives from a famous speech delivered by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the House of Commons: “…the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin.”

The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces, and was also the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign to that date. The failure of Germany to achieve its objectives of destroying Britain’s air defenses, or forcing Britain to negotiate an armistice or an outright surrender, is considered its first major defeat and a crucial turning point in World War II.

By preventing Germany from gaining air superiority, the battle ended the threat that Adolf Hitler would launch Operation Sea Lion, a proposed amphibious and airborne invasion of Britain.

This illustrated edition is the definitive single volume overview of the Battle of Britain. Edited by Emmy Award winning author and historian Bob Carruthers, this book encompasses the strategic, operational and tactical aspects of the Battle of Britain.