The Battle of Britain: Five Months That Changed History, May-October 1940

Holland, James

ISBN 10: 0593059131 / ISBN 13: 9780593059135

Published by Bantam Press (an imprint of Transworld Publishers), London, 2010

About this Item

First edition, slipcased hardcover, limited collector's edition marked no. 79/250 copies, and signed by Holland, as well as 12 soldiers (six British, six German), on pages at the front. The book has a very mild lean to the binding, slight bumps to the spine ends, and a touch of shelfwear to the cover edges and corners. Otherwise, this is a solid, tight, clean and bright, Very Good+ copy in a Very Good slipcase, which has moderate bumps with some creasing to the corners, a short split starting to the upper left seam at the opening, light wear along the seams, and mild rubbing to the panels. Additional images are available upon request. Signatories - Pete Brothers, Jimmy Corbin, Andrew Jackson, Tom Neil, Geoff Wellum, Allan Wright & Hans-Ekkehard Bob, Kurt Dahlmann, Hajo Herrmann, Günther Rall, Erich Rudorffer, Günther Seeger.

Seller Inventory # 108275

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Battle of Britain: Five Months That Changed History, May-October 1940
• Publisher: Bantam Press (an imprint of Transworld Publishers), London
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0593059131
• ISBN 13: 9780593059135
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition.
• Condition: Very Good+
• Dust Jacket Condition: Slipcase (Very Good)
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • WWII
  • Military History

About this title

Synopsis

'If Hitler fails to invade or destroy Britain, he has lost the war,' Churchill said in the summer of 1940. He was right. The Battle of Britain was a crucial turning point in the history of the Second World War. Had Britain's defences 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 counter and 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 seemed, while her 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 RAF, Royal Navy as well as the mounting sense of collective defiance led by a new Prime Minister, Britain was not ready to roll over just yet.

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, The Battle of Britain tells this most epic of stories from all sides, drawing on extensive new research from around the world. In so doing, it paints a complete picture of that extraordinary summer - a time in which the fate of the world truly hung by a thread.

About the Author

James Holland was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and studied history at Durham University. A member of the British Commission for Military History and the Guild of Battlefield Guides, he also regularly contributes reviews and articles in national newspapers and magazines. He is the author of Italy's Sorrow: A Year of War, 1944-1945; Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege, 1940-1943; Together We Stand: North Africa 1942-1943 – Turning the Tide in the West; and Heroes: The Greatest Generation and the Second World War. His many interviews with veterans of the Second World War are available at the Imperial War Museum. James Holland is married with two children and lives in Wiltshire.