The Battle of Britain, 1945-1965: The Air Ministry and the Few

by Garry Campion

Overview

Seventy-five years after the Battle of Britain, the Few's role in preventing invasion continues to enjoy a revered place in popular memory. The Air Ministry were central to the Battle's valorisation. This book explores both this, and also the now forgotten 1940 Battle of the Barges mounted by RAF bombers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781137316264
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Publication date:	10/06/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	366
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Garry Campion teaches architectural conservation and history at the University of Northampton, UK, and has previously published The Good Fight: Battle of Britain Propaganda and the Few, also with Palgrave Macmillan in 2008, and again in paperback in 2010. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Table of Contents

Introduction
PART I: AIR WAR, MEDIA WAR
1. 'Seelöwe und Bomben Auf Engeland': The German Perspective, 1940
2. Britain's Fighter Boys: Projecting the Battle of Britain, 1940
3. 'The Battle of the Barges': 'Blackpool Front' Propaganda, 1940-1945
PART II: VALORISING AND THANKSGIVING
4. 'The Greatest Day': Shaping the Battle of Britain, 1941
5. 'Immortal Few': Heroising the Fighter Boys, 1942-1945
6. 'Air Trafalgar Day': Official Commemorations, 1942-1945
PART III: COMMEMORATION AND POPULAR MEMORY
7. 'The Fight at Odds': Revelation, Memorialisation, 1945-1953
8. 'Angels One Five': Historical and Cultural Consolidation, 1946-1965
Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

Given the various commemorative activities that accompanied the recent seventy-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Britain, this is a timely volume by Garry Campion, one which develops further some of the issues and ideas he had previously explored in his widely (and rightly) praised 2009 work … . this is a fine contribution to Battle of Britain scholarship, and an important addition to on-going work examining the Second World War’s pervasive and persistent cultural legacy.” (Sam Edwards, War in History, Vol. 24 (4), 2017)

“This book provides a fascinating story and the various circumstances surrounding the famous Battle of Britain. … It also presents background materials in eight appendices to give readers a broader view. … This book is an interesting read. It contains many details, circumstances and backgrounds on various decisions, actions, influences, and postponements that have previously not been looked at, so it is valuable for those interested in British history.” (Sonu Chandiram, Biz India Reviews, bizindia.net, December 2015)

From the Publisher