Finest Hour: The bestselling story of the Battle of Britain (Extraordinary Lives, Extraordinary Stories of World War Two) - Softcover

A wonderful oral history of Great Britain during the Dunkirk evacuation and the Battle of Britain in the tradition of Stephan Ambrose; recommended for all collections. * US Library Journal * From fighter-pilots risking their lives in the skies above England, to squaddies stranded at Dunkirk, to schoolgirls sent abroad to Canada (the book is worth buying just for Bess Walder's account of horror and redemption aboard the City of Benares), this is riveting. * Sunday Express * Manages to construct the tale in such a way that it breaks free of the text-book approach ... Compiled with a pace that could put a lot of thrillers to shame. * Time Out * Compelling ... Mesmerizing stuff. * Sunday Telegraph * Beautifully made ... Achingly vivid. * Guardian * Brilliant ... This highly informative, moving series should form part of the National Curriculum. * Daily Mail *

Seventy years ago, Europe lay at Hitler's feet. Britain faced its darkest hour - outnumbered and friendless as the German army continued its advance. Defeat or capitulation seemed inevitable. But instead a legend was born. Taking its readers on a breathtaking journey from open lifeboats in Atlantic gales to the cockpits of burning fighter-planes, and through cities devastated by the Blitz, FINEST HOUR recreates the terror, the tragedy and the triumph of the Battle of Britain. This powerful account of the events of 1940 is told through the voices, diaries, letters and memoirs of the men and women who lived, loved, fought and died during this terrible yet inspiring year. FINEST HOUR also contains a provocative analysis of key turning points, and questions some cherished national myths. Cutting through the nostalgic haze, this book enables readers to experience a time - still within living memory - when a nation's darkest hour became its finest.