Battle of Britain The Breaking Storm (ePub)
10 July 1940 – 12 August 1940 (Volume 2)
Imprint: Air World
File Size: 15.0 MB (.epub)
Pages: 248
Illustrations: 32 mono illustrations
ISBN: 9781399056434
Published: 21st September 2023
Sir Keith Park - Officially One of The Few!
Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park - Officially One of The Few! - Read the article here
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In Battle of Britain: The Gathering Storm, the first of Dilip Sarkar’s unprecedented seven-volume series exploring the Battle of Britain, the events that led up to the outbreak of war in 1939, and which set the scene for the epic aerial conflict of summer 1940, were fully explored.
Continuing his examination of the events of the Spitfire Summer, in Battle of Britain: The Breaking Storm Dilip provides a day-by-day chronicle of the Battle of Britain’s first phase – the so-called Kanalkampf – which was fought over the Channel-bound convoys between 10 July and 12 August 1940. This account, though, does not simply concern RAF Fighter Command, as the author recognises the operations and efforts of the RAF’s Bomber and Coastal commands, the Royal Navy and mercantile marine – making this book part of what he calls ‘the Big story’.
Hitler’s actual policies and intentions towards the ongoing war with Britain are also explored. If the Battle of Britain was fought to deny Germany the aerial superiority required to launch a seaborne invasion of southern England, then, the author argues, the conflict could surely only have begun when the Germans committed to Operation Seelöwe – which was not, in fact, until 21 July 1940. It has previously been accepted that Hitler’s War Directive of 16 July 1940 signalled the intention to invade, but the author proves that this was no more than another example of the ‘brinkmanship’ that Hitler was renowned for, and the air attacks at that time little more than ‘Air Fleet Diplomacy’, all of which was intended to frighten Britain into accepting the Führer’s ‘last appeal to reason’ of 19 July 1940.
In his broadcast of 22 July 1940, Lord Halifax made the nation’s unbowed position quite clear. He called Hitler’s bluff: previously reluctant to fight Britain, Hitler’s preferred policy in the ongoing war had been blockade and diplomacy – but now he had no choice but to unleash the Luftwaffe against Britain. All of this is investigated in detail, aligning these wider events and high decisions with action in the air.
Through diligent research, combined with crucial official primary sources and personal papers, Dilip unravels many myths, often challenging the accepted narrative. This is not simply another dull record of combat losses and claims – far from it. Drawing upon unique first-hand accounts from a wide-range of combatants and eyewitnesses, along with Daily Home Intelligence Reports and numerous other primary sources, this book forms part of what is likely to be the first and last such comprehensively woven account of this epic air battle.
“I appreciate and enjoy your style of writing. It is easier to absorb than some of the other Battle Britain reference works, which are often overly academic and dense. This makes them a laborious and slow read.”
Arend Hoogervorst
As featured in
WWII History Magazine
"Even if you feel you know all you need to know about the pivotal battle - The RAF's finest moment - Dilip Sarkar will show you so much more...brilliant stuff."
Pilot magazine - June 2024
5 out of 5
Army Rumour Service (ARRSE)
I cannot recommend this detailed, thought provoking and eminently readable book highly enough to anyone with a serious interest in the Battle of Britain.
Read the Full Review Here
Featured in
Military History Matters - Issue 138, February/March 2024
Article: "Author's 1 Million Words on Battle of Britain."
RAF News - January 12, 2024
Author and series featured in the article: 'One million words on landmark aerial battle'
Worcester News
Are the dates of the battle wrong?
The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust
Read the article here.
As featured by
Pennant Magazine - Autumn 2023, No.180 - THE JOURNAL OF THE FORCES PENSION SOCIETY
Article "The Forgotten Member of the 'The Few'"
Britain at War Magazine
Sir Keith Park, the 'Defender of London', has been formally recognised for his role in the Battle of Britain.
About Dilip Sarkar MBE FRHistS FRAeS
DILIP SARKAR is a prolific author and historian, with over 60 books to his name, and is an internationally recognised authority on the Battle of Britain; he is author of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust and National Memorial to The Few’s eight volume, one-million-word, official history of the Battle of Britain, a unique project endorsed by, amongst others, The Princess Royal and the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton. Having enjoyed a uniquely personal relationship with many of The Few, Dilip is a much sought after and engaging speaker, who has spoken and exhibited internationally in addition to working on numerous television and film projects, both on and off camera. Made an MBE for services to aviation history in 2003, he was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society, and to the Fellowship of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2024, and is Honorary Vice-President of The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust CIO. For further information please see www.dilipsarkarmbe.com.