RAF Fighter Command Pilot: The Western Front 1939–42 (Warrior, 164) - Softcover

Barber, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1849087792 ISBN 13: 9781849087797

Publisher: Osprey Publishing, 2012

Synopsis

The role of the "few" of the RAF in World War II, as described by Churchill during the Battle of Britain, has been the subject of much mythologizing both at the time and in the years since. The recent 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, combined with the threat of significant cuts to the current RAF, have highlighted the importance of Fighter Command in the early days of World War II once more.

This title will put Fighter Command in context; describing the lack of funding and attention which it received during the interwar period, until it was almost too late. The myth of the fighter pilot will be humanized, with first-hand accounts quoted which put nervous but brave human beings from all walks of life in the cockpit, not the fearless, arrogant public school boys who appear in popular fiction. Although the Battle of Britain may not have in itself been the decisive encounter that it has historically been portrayed as, the moral victory won by the RAF, the victory that proved that Germany could be defeated, was just as important as a military-strategic victory.

Other aspects of these early days of Fighter Command will also be given a more detailed exploration - the obsolete but tenacious Gladiators over Norway, the Hurricanes in support of the BEF and air cover over Dunkirk. Thus giving a rounded picture of the early years and development of Fighter Command and its pilots.

About this title

About the Authors

Mark Barber has written titles for several military aviation series and publications, he has also undertaken historical consultancy work within the video game industry. His main area of interest is British military aviation in the First and Second World Wars.

Graham Turner is a leading historical artist, specializing in the medieval period. He has illustrated numerous titles for Osprey, covering a wide variety of subjects from the dress of the 10th-century armies of the Caliphates, through the action of bloody medieval battles, to the daily life of the British Redcoat of the late 18th century. The son of the illustrator Michael Turner, Graham lives and works in Buckinghamshire, UK.

Edition details

• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1849087792
• ISBN 13: 9781849087797
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Turner Graham
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 64