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Martin Davidson, James Taylor
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The Battle of Britain, 1940, was one of the most famous air battles in the history of
warfare and it is a story of ruthless organisation, brilliant control and command. But at its
heart is one particular figure, a legend ever since. The RAF fighter pilot. And one particular
plane - a piece of machinery that has almost mythic historical glamour - the Supermarine
Spitfire. Accompanying a Channel 4 series of the same name, "Spitfire Pilot" reintroduces us
to the few that flew in the Battle of Britain and includes interviews with 25 of the 35
remaining veteran Spitfire pilots. Combined with a historical narrative of the events
surrounding the Battle of Britain, the reader learns what is was like to fly a Spitfire and to
experience combat flying at its most visceral. Illustrated with over 80 photographs and
contemporary archive material, "Spitfire Pilot" provides a vivid portrait of the fighter boys
and their finest hour, their planes (including Spitfires, Hurricanes and Messerschmitts) and
Fighter Command - RAF versus the Luftwaffe.
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Douglas Bader
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Pen and Sword Books are proud to be re-issuing this the only book that the legendary 'legless' ace Douglas
Bader (immortalised by the film Reach For The Sky) wrote. He tells the inspiring story of the
Battle of Britain from the viewpoint of 'The Few'. Using superb illustrations he traces the
development of the Spitfire and Hurricane and describes the nail-biting actions of those who
flew them against far superior numbers of enemy aircraft. As an added bonus, other well-known
fighter aces including Johnnie Johnson, 'Laddie' Lucas and Max Aikten contribute to Douglas's
book, no doubt out of affection and respect. This is a really important contribution to RAF
history by one of the greatest - and certainly the most famous - pilot of the Second World War.
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Ian Duncan Smith (Foreword), Group Captain W.G.G. Duncan Smith
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Group Captain Duncan Smith flew and fought in front-line operations continuously from the Battle of Britain
through the struggle for Malta, the invasion of Italy and the liberation of France. In this
personal and exhilarating account, the reader experiences first hand the dramatic story of the
air war from the cockpit of the now legendary spitfire.
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