NARROW MARGIN: The Battle of Britain and the Rise of Air Power 1930-1949 (Pen & Sword Military Classics) [Paperback]

Derek Wood (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pen & Sword Military Classics | Publication Date: November 2003

The Battle of Britain saved not only that country from invasion, but also altered the course of the war for the rest of the world.

This remarkable book traces the fortunes of the Royal Air Force and provides a comprehensive account of the Battle of Britain, including day-by-day summaries of the battle. It also includes an appendix of the aircraft used by the RAF and the Luftwaffe with schematic drawings, and a list of all the pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain from July 10th to October 31st 1940.

The authors are military aviation exprerts who have also written among other things, Jane's World Aircraft Recognition Handbook.

Product Details

• Paperback: 362 pages
• Publisher: Pen and Sword (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850529158
• ISBN-13: 978-0850529159
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,192,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Classic Account of the Battle of Britain, November 10, 2006

By 

D. S. Thurlow (Alaska) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: NARROW MARGIN: The Battle of Britain and the Rise of Air Power 1930-1949 (Pen & Sword Military Classics) (Paperback)

"The Narrow Margin", first published in 1961 and periodically updated and reissued since, is the classic account of the Battle of Britain. The defeat by an undermanned British Royal Air Force (RAF) of the German Luftwaffe offensive to gain air superiority over Britain in 1940 likely staved off a German invasion and kept Britain in the war.

Authors Derek Wood and Derek Dempster provide a methodical account of the air battle, beginning with the retooling of the British and German air forces in the 1930's in preparation for conflict. Each side made choices about the types of aircraft they would develop that shape their successes in the Second World War. The second part of the book discusses the Fall of France in 1940 and Britain's frantic preparations after the Dunkirk evacuation to build up the defenses of the home island. Part three is a day by day account of the actual air battles between July and October 1940, tracing the shifting tactics and objectives of the two sides.

This book is a factual account, packed with an excellent selection of photographs, graphics, maps, and appendices. Those readers looking for a romantic account of a few handfulls of embattled British fighter pilots standing off the undefeated might of the Luftwaffe will have other alternatives to this volume, which focuses on the practical necessities of efficient early warning, the comparative values of different aircraft, the availability of trained pilots, and the use of effective tactics. Incidentally, "The Narrow Margin" was the basis for the 1969 movie "The Battle of Britain."

This book is highly recommended to students of the Battle of Britain and the Second World War.