BOOKS

Over the past 80 years, histories of the Battle of Britain have consistently portrayed the feats of 'The Few' (as they were immortalized in Churchill's famous speech) as being responsible for the RAF's victory in the epic battle. However, this is only part of the story. The results of an air campaign cannot be measured in terms of territory captured, cities occupied or armies defeated, routed or annihilated. Successful air campaigns are those that achieve their intended aims or stated objectives. Victory in the Battle of Britain was determined by whether the Luftwaffe achieved its objectives.

The heroics of the airmen who served in the United States Eighth Air Force and fought in the embattled skies of Europe during World War II are legendary.

On the night of 16 / 17 May 1943 one of the most daring low-level night time raids in the history of air warfare took place, when nineteen Lancaster crews from the newly-formed 617 Squadron successfully attacked the great dams of Germany. Their audacious mission – codenamed Operation Chastise – gained them immediate fame and legendary status.

6th June 1944: the date that marked the beginning of the end of the war in north-west Europe, and the day on which the liberation of France began.

For a hundred years GCHQ - Government Communications Headquarters - has been at the forefront of British secret statecraft. Born out of the need to support military operations in the First World War, and fought over ever since, today it is the UK's biggest intelligence, security and cyber agency and a powerful tool of the British state.

The paintings and drawings in this beautifully illustrated new book have been assembled from the archives of the Military Gallery to commemorate the Battle of Britain, one of the most important air battles ever fought. It is a fitting tribute to those young men of RAF Fighter Command - 'Churchill's Few'.

John K. "Jack" Northrop and the company he founded in 1939, Northrop Aircraft, Inc., will be forever linked with the giant futuristic Flying Wings of the 1940s. 

This item is currently out of stock and will be available in October.

*Please note date may be subject to change.

Starting in the mid-1950s, and for nearly two decades thereafter, the MiG-17P, MiG-17PF and MiG-17PFU (the latter version was armed with air-to-air missiles) were the most widespread interceptors in the Soviet Air Defence Force.