One of the complaints of reviewers about this exceptional book is that “the Battle of Britain” should really be confined to Fighter Command versus the Luftwaffe, as if the Royal Navy or the Home Guard or the merchant convoys or Bletchley Park or Bomber Command and the British Armey were merely bystanders to an airborne duel. But of course that’s nonsense. It’s nonsense often reinforced by bad TV shows and tunnel vision books but it is bad all the same. One of Holland’s great achievements is to put the air wars in a perspective that is often lacking in many discussions of Britain and World War Two.
Fighter Command began losing planes in France, not in England, and thus Holland’s decision to begin his work with the fall of France is absolutely on target. And Dowding’s struggles to keep Churchill from giving away even more aircraft to the hopeless French – reinforcing failure – is as central to the air wars as any other issue.
“Everyone,” Holland points out, “played their part: the navy, the army, the auxiliary services the Home Guard, the groundcrews, the Observer Corps, the civilian repair units – Britain’s defiance … was a collective effort.” Rather than being misleading or a flaw, Holland’s sweeping vision is a masterful achievement to set the record straight, including the fraught politics on both sides of the Channel (and the Atlantic) that often came close to ensuring Britain’s defeat.
And Holland manages to bring to life not just the larger picture but the personal stories as well, not just of the usual “great men” portraits but the persons in the streets, both in Germany and in England. He interviews or cites from the letters and journals of at least 40 people who lived the struggle in both countries, women as well as men, fliers and photographers, sailors and volunteers, housewives and secretaries and factory workers, helping to preserve the day to day experiences of “ordinary” folk. While some reviewers bemoan trying to follow so many personal narratives, Holland’s text gives a small indication of the millions of people whose lives were changed forever by the conflict.
He also makes trenchant observations about strategy and tactics which have often escaped careful judgment, such as Douglas Bader’s useless “big wing” folly or Goring’s incredibly stupid decision to stop attacking Britain’s radar stations. In the larger context of Holland’s vision, Hitler’s indecision about invading Britain makes more historical sense. He simply missed the window when it would have been feasible – although “feasible” is not the same as successful.
As in his other histories of World War Two, Holland here offers a perspective both broad and penetrating. It is simply some of the best military history out there. For any serious student of the war, it is essential.
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Top reviews from other countries
George
Events leading up to the actual Battle of Britain.
Reviewed in Canada on February 13, 2024
A. Callow
Excellent Narrative of the Battle that expands the usual envelope
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2018