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The Battle of Britain
- Author
- James Holland
- Narrator
- Al Murray
- Publisher
- Transworld
- Publish Date
- 30 April 2020
- Run Time
- 23 hours 25 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Rating
- 5.0 (3 reviews)
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What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
This audio edition includes an exclusive Q&A between James Holland and Al Murray.
'If Hitler fails to invade or destroy Britain, he has lost the war,' Churchill said in the summer of 1940.He was right.The Battle of Britain was a crucial turning point in the history of the Second World War. Had Britain's defences collapsed, Hitler would have dominated all of Europe and been able to turn his full attention east to the Soviet Union.
The German invasion of France and the Low Countries in May 1940 was unlike any the world had ever seen. It hit with a force and aggression that no-one could counter and in just a few short weeks, all in their way crumbled under the force of the Nazi hammer blow. With France facing defeat and with British forces pressed back to the Channel, there were few who believed Britain could possibly survive.Soon, it seemed, Hitler would have all of Europe at his feet.
Yet Hitler's forces were not quite the Goliath they at first seemed, while her leadership lacked the single-minded purpose, vision and direction that had led to such success on land.Nor was Britain any David.Thanks to a sophisticated defensive system and the combined efforts of the RAF, Royal Navy as well as the mounting sense of collective defiance led by a new Prime Minister, Britain was not ready to roll over just yet.
From clashes between coastal convoys and Schnellboote in the Channel to astonishing last stands in Flanders, and from the slaughter by the U-boats in the icy Atlantic to the dramatic aerial battles over England, The Battle of Britain tells this most epic of stories from all sides, drawing on extensive new research from around the world. In so doing, it paints a complete picture of that extraordinary summer - a time in which the fate of the world truly hung by a thread.
© James Holland 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020
Critics Review
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Holland is excellent on telling detail...This is a notable account of an epic human experience, told with the informality and enthusiasm that distinguish Holland's work...If the story is familiar, Holland tells it with authority and exuberant panache
The Sunday Times
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Holland is one of a new generation of historians who were born long after the war but who bring to the subject a freshness and proper spirit of enquiry. A great achievement
John Sergeant, Sunday Express
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Excellent on all the technicalities of the conflict ... full of lively pen portraits and unusual insights
Spectator
-
Stuffed with personal accounts that drive the narrative along at a cracking pace
Patrick Bishop, Mail on Sunday
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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Ambitious and comprehensive ... the pace never flags as the narrative ranges effortlessly from the cockpit of the Spitfire to the gallery of the House of Commons
Saul David, Daily Telegraph
-
Comprehensive and readable
The Economist
-
Holland is superb at switching the focus of the action while maintaining the pace and drama of the story
Spectator
-
A definitive record...The fact we won is remarkable, and Holland brings the events vividly to life *****
News of the World
-
A full and fascinating account...Edge-of-the-seat exciting
Saga
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Holland is a narrative historian par excellence who believes that people should be at the heart of any story and brings the characters of the age to life...[an] excellent, highly-readable volume
Navy News
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
-
5.0 5.0
It is great to read a history of the Battle of Britain which puts it in the wider context of the war, making you aware of all the pressures that were bearing in on all the people involved - it was far from the simple Spitfire vs Messerschmitt tussle so often presented. I have read many texts on the BoB since I was a child, but I felt I had gained a whole new, satisfying perspective on events.
Holland has a beguiling way of making you see things from a new angle, so that afterwards you wonder how you never had that perspective before, as it now seems obvious (the 'obvious' is often the most difficult thing to uncover as it requires a mind-shift). This especially comes from his emphasis on the importance of operational factors - so often neglected in other histories.
This is my first audiobook, and I found Al Murray's narration to be well nigh perfect, a friendly, confidential tone, fluent & at just the right speed for me, despite the at times quite complicated matters he was relating.
I personally would have liked a little more technical/technological discussion as that is one of my pet subjects (loved the discussion of both sides radar technology), but I imagine that would have made a long (but not overlong) book maybe a whisker too long.paraloid 2022-09-30
Details
- Author
- James Holland
- Narrator
- Al Murray
- Duration
- 23 hours 25 minutes
- Release Date
- 30 April 2020
- ISBN
- 9781473581043
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Transworld
- Genre
- General and world history, Second World War, Modern warfare
- Rating
- 5.0(3 reviews)
- Narration
- 5.0(3 reviews)
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin.This audio edition includes an exclusive Q&A between James Holland and Al Murray. 'If Hitler fails to invade or destroy Britain, he has lost the war,' Churchill said in the summer of 1940.He was right.The Battle of Britain was a crucial turning point in the history of the Second World War. Had Britain's defences collapsed, Hitler would have dominated all of Europe and been able to turn his full attention east to the Soviet Union. The German invasion of France and the Low Countries in May 1940 was unlike any the world had ever seen. It hit with a force and aggression that no-one could counter and in just a few short weeks, all in their way crumbled under the force of the Nazi hammer blow. With France facing defeat and with British forces pressed back to the Channel, there were few who believed Britain could possibly survive.Soon, it seemed, Hitler would have all of Europe at his feet.Yet Hitler's forces were not quite the Goliath they at first seemed, while her leadership lacked the single-minded purpose, vision and direction that had led to such success on land.Nor was Britain any David.Thanks to a sophisticated defensive system and the combined efforts of the RAF, Royal Navy as well as the mounting sense of collective defiance led by a new Prime Minister, Britain was not ready to roll over just yet.From clashes between coastal convoys and Schnellboote in the Channel to astonishing last stands in Flanders, and from the slaughter by the U-boats in the icy Atlantic to the dramatic aerial battles over England, The Battle of Britain tells this most epic of stories from all sides, drawing on extensive new research from around the world. In so doing, it paints a complete picture of that extraordinary summer - a time in which the fate of the world truly hung by a thread.© James Holland 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020
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