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Fighter [Paperback]

Len Deighton (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Paperback, Mar 12 1996 --   -- --
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Product Description

Review

Novelist Len Deighton has written a military buff's delight: a meticulous history of the men and machines of the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force in their struggle over Britain in the summer of 1940. Deighton describes the Battle in the stark, no-nonsense terms of a chess player recounting a game; the reader will not feel what it was like to be a Spitfire or Messerschmitt pilot, but he will know all the cold, hard constraints of aero-technology and strategy under which those airmen operated. In layman's terms, Deighton examines the effective range, armaments, and carrying capacities of the planes, the primitive radar systems employed by both sides, and the advantages and disadvantages of different deployments of aircraft. An extensive air war was unprecedented in 1940, and Deighton renders well the suspense of the deadly trials and errors of both air forces as they groped with logistical problems never before encountered. As in all wars, actual combat was but a small part of the war effort; Deighton thus emphasizes the mundane but vital matters of aircraft production and pilot training in Britain and Germany. Although he gives fullest play to these strategic concerns, Deighton does place them in a political context. The British Air Ministry, full of theorists who had never flown a plane, constantly hampered Air Marshal Hugh Dowding in the conduct of Britain's defense. On the other side, Hitler's preoccupation with Russia and the invincible incompetence of Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goering precluded a Nazi victory. Peppered with accidental heroes, hotheads, and bunglers, Deighton's history will be welcomed by all those who never weary of the world's "last romantic battle." (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Book Description

Len Deighton's skill as a novelist is used to show how the human factor influenced every twist and turn of this close-fought battle. His encyclopedic knowledge of technology makes clear how machines played a vital role in the fight for Britain's survival. Here is the intensely vivid story of the men who developed radar, designed the high-speed monoplanes, fought each other in the skies and those who simply engaged in vicious vendetta.
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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars More facts with less bias, this book has more meat & potatos, Aug 3 2002
By 
This review is from: Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain (Hardcover)
Better than the "Coffee table books" that sing adoring praises of the Spitfire and Hurricane pilots, this book better reflects the thoughts and minds of both sides on a moment-by-moment basis than any other so called "analysis" work. With interviews and photos from both sides, this book captures the daily life of a RAF or Luftwaffe pilot and gives a better story about the 'Big Picture' than anywhere else. The hand drawn cartoons by the luftwaffe pilots are worth the price of the book alone.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Technology, Dec 27 2001
By 
Ken Braithwaite (inkster, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain (Hardcover)
Deighton presents the results of modern scholarship (refuting the Churchill/Coventry myth, etc) in a fascinating way. His greatest strength is his discussion of technology, which is slighted by too many historians (who consider technology and science beneath them). A pleasure to read.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have Book for Aerial History Buffs, Dec 21 2001
By 
Rob Morris (Idaho Falls, ID United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain (Hardcover)
This book is probably one of the best air history books you will find. It covers a specific battle, the Battle of Britain, one of the greatest air battles of all time. And it covers all aspects of the battle extensively--the machines, the men who flew them, the other inventions that figured in the battle, such as radar, the tactics employed by both sides, and much more. Some reviewers have called it too technical. Not if what you want is a thorough study of a battle from every angle. I found it fascinating and exciting reading.
If you are interested in aerial warfare, this book will satisfy you completely.
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