Rating: 
Summary: One of the most powerful tales of courage
Review: In both world wars, millions of men faced off in combat, with millions dying at the hands of those on the other side. However, the second was unlike the first in two ways. During the first, the number of civilian casualties was low, being a very small percentage of those in the military. This was reversed in the second, with the mass killing of civilians being "accepted" practice. So much so that most of the violent deaths in the war were civilian rather than military.
The second difference was that in the first, the placement of an additional thousand combatants of any skill level on any front would have been irrelevant. That is not true in the second. There is one point in the second world war where the actions of literally a few hundred fighting men quite likely altered the outcome. This collection of brave, talented and amazing men were the fighter pilots of the British Royal Air Force. This book not only chronicles their achievements, but also that of the British, who looked long odds in the eye and said, "we will not yield."
The incredibly swift defeat of the allied armies made the German war machine seem invincible. After the British managed to extract the bulk of their army from Dunkirk, the only two things preventing the Germans from launching an invasion of Britain was the Royal Air Force and Navy. However, as subsequent events clearly demonstrated, surface ships were little more than helpless against air attack. Had the Royal Navy been forced to make a stand to prevent a cross-channel invasion, it would have been chewed to pieces by the German Luftwaffe. Therefore, it all came down to a few hundred pilots, who prevented the Germans from achieving domination of the air, which would have led to a British surrender. Of course, since the other role of airplanes was to slaughter civilians by aerial bombardment, German air domination would have led to thousands of additional civilian deaths in London and other British cities.
This defeat would have led to the capitulation of Ireland, the Axis powers gaining control of other British possessions such as Gibraltar, Malta, Cypress, Palestine and Egypt with the Suez canal. It is hard to envision a scenario where an alliance with no base in Britain could have launched a successful invasion of either Europe or northern Africa. The additional resources that the Axis could have then brought against the Soviet Union may have been enough to tip the balance to their side.
One main theme throughout this book is how close Britain really was to defeat. The army that was extracted at Dunkirk was largely weaponless and incapable of fighting and much of the coast of Britain was patrolled by men with hunting shotguns and pitchforks. Reading stories of how people planned on putting broken bottles on the end of sticks to make weapons comes across as surreal. How those people ever expected to stand up against the tanks and machine guns of an invasion army is very difficult to fathom.
A secondary theme was the incredible political caution of Franklin Roosevelt, who while he despised the Germans and knew the dangers of a British defeat, was unwilling to take the slightest political risks to aid them. When he finally did act and made the trade of destroyers for navy bases, there was no great opposition. Once again, proving a point about the American presidency. No president has ever been defeated by acting decisively, it is the appearance of weakness and indecision that will get you voted out.
The second world war was won on the plains of eastern Europe, where the armies of the Axis and their allies where simply chewed into nonexistence. However, it could have been lost in the air over Britain and we all owe those who triumphed there a debt of gratitude for their courage against what were perceived to be terrible odds. This is a book about courage and what it can mean, today, tomorrow and in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Spellbinding Book Wonderfully Covering The Battle of Britain
Review: In one of the darkest moments of modern history, the British people stood isolated and alone against the bulwark of the fabulously successfully forces of the Third Reich, who had just finished "blitkreiging" their way across Western Europe, forcing the desperate evacuation of the battered English army from the shores of Dunkirk to save them from certain slaughter at the hands of a rampaging Wehrmacht. In this absolutely riveting book, the authors describe the extraordinary effort of the Brits in fending off the vastly superior numbers of Luftwaffe aircraft soon invading the airspace over the English countryside. As Churchill said so memorably at the time, this attempt to beat back the Nazis might well become Britain's "finest hour".It is a tale well told, one most Americans of a certain age are familiar with. But our mere familiarity should not deter us from enjoying this endlessly entertaining and well-narrated tale, which is both extremely approachable and understandable on the one hand for the first time student, and also immensely informative and detailed regarding Churchill's knack for popular leadership and the ways in which he bedeviled his countryman into rising to the their "finest hour". It may come as a surprise to some to discover that up to the moment of defeat in France, there were still efforts at appeasement of the Nazis being bandied about within the marbled halls of Parliament. Yet the British quickly rallied round the flagpole that Winston Churchill raised on high, and he urged them on provocatively and memorably time after time. The book also excels at telling this story from the viewpoint of eye-witness participants, and the reader is whisked memorably along by machine-gun rapid-fire of personal eyewitness testimonies that succeed brilliantly in bringing the drama into bold relief and focus, breathing life into this otherwise 'oft told tale'. It is hard for one to commit the most grievous crime of hyperbole when speaking of this particular event and time in history, when the Third Reich had quickly and massively crushed all opposition against it, and the Wehrmacht swept west all the way to the English Channel. In this moment of fear, terror and expectation, the world literally held its breath as the fateful and bloody contest began. The Brits stood alone, the only obstacle to Hitler's determination to end all opposition in the west so he could concentrate on his real objective, "living space" in the east in the breadbasket region of the Soviet Union, the Ukraine. And the British, having the undivided attention of the Luftwaffe, were indeed badly outnumbered. The reader will soon find himself glued to his armchair, unable to resist continuing as the pages resound quickly past one with a myriad of colorful details and discussions about how the defense of the home island and all that involved. Whether it be a discussion of how the Americans participated, the German views and expectations, or the experiences of a British submariner telling his sobering story, this is a book one has to put to the top of his or her reading list. I spent the weekend reading it, and my brother immediately grabbed the book away for himself to pore through in the next several days. It is indeed a wonderful book offering the reader an expansive, entertaining, and ground level view of perhaps the most celebrated time of peril and derring-do in the history of the 20th century. Truly, this was their finest hour. Enjoy!
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Summary: British Version of "The Greatest Generation"
Review: It seems our British friends decided to cash in on a good yank idea! This book is similar in style to Brokow's best seller except the characters are more intertwined with each other. They interact throughout the story which makes for a more comprehensive picture of the life and times of 1940 Great Britain. The backdrop of the governments'actions during the experiences of the various characters paints a broad and illuminating picture of the times.The only complaint I have is that it's not long enough to include many other facets of the British during their"Finest Hour". I'll conclude by saying the ending is touching and surprising. Not your usual finale to a war history book.
Rating: 
Summary: Some reviews of the British edition of Finest Hour
Review: Some British press reviews: 'This brilliant book...' (Daily Mail) Brings added depth to their superb TV series...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) Emotionally charged with first-hand reminiscence...The research is sound, the photographs engaging. A fine and relevant work' (Focus Magazine) 'The authors'approach has a warmth and immediacy about it...a clear but gripping view of Britain's darkest hour' (Air Mail, journal of the RAF Association)
Rating: 
Summary: Finest Hour of Sleep
Review: This book opens with snippets of pre-battle "experiences" of various men. It is so boring I can't force myself to get through the first chapter. A great disappointment.
Rating: 
Summary: Missing many critical factors
Review: This book told the story of the sailor, soldier and girlfriend of the "few". It did not even mention the "beams" (the radio guidance system employed by the germans and defeated by the british and is one of the real reasons the the battle of britain was won). It failed to clearly define the british "watch" program, and scratched the surface of the RAF fighter pilots struggle. The convey and re-supply aspect and impact on the battle was grossly under discussed. There was no real discussion of aircraft, tactics, german stratagy, or mistakes. Dunkirk was breezed through. Too much BS about some tart in London, and not enough aerial combatant's view. Overall I would not classify this book as history, rather this is a re-telling of four or five people's experience before and during the battle. The book even ends poorly, I just stops. I wish the PBS companion aspect of the book was better advertised. I failed to note this until I had the book. As is typical of PBS, it content is emotional and human interest, not factual and ground breaking.
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Summary: Tremendously readable, quasi-revisionist history
Review: This is a great book. It is also a great history. Craig and Clayton have definitely done their homework, digging through both official archives and endless (and occasionally disturbing) eyewitness testimony. The result is the best book on the subject I've ever read. The authors have wisely decided to focus on the essentials of this story. Instead of a numbing account of each raid, we get an overall summary of events for each period of time and a detailed description of a few representative events. When appropriate, we also go behind the scenes to hear what leaders on all sides of the conflict are thinking, although they don't overdo this. The authors have challenged some cherished myths about the conflict (although perhaps not to the extent they claim). Most obviously, they cite examples of Allied atrocities, to counteract the myth that Britain fought completely nobly. However, they back up all their assertions scrupulously and never tear down the Allies just for the sake of it. The result is one of the most readable and thoughtful books I have read on World War II.
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Summary: Excellent book on understanding what Britian went through
Review: Very well written, very exciting. I could not put this book down. I did not know to much about World War II except what the US did. This tells me a whole new story that I never knew.
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Summary: The macro through the micro
Review: What is wonderful about this book is the way in which the larger part of the story is fully illustrated by the flowing anecdotes from those on the ground. A Ken Burn's style of history (be mindful if that turns you off), the book provides an interesting view of the conflict from a multitude of viewpoints: Churchill, figther pilots, plotters, soldiers and ordinary citizens all have their stories interwoven to complete a larger tapestry that shows the entire conflict. The place where the book shines best is in dramatizing the steadily growing horror as Germany sweeps across France and traps the BEF at Dunkirk. The anecdotes make manifest in a visceral way that, as the evacuation from Dunkirk is taking place, sentiment everywhere (except perhaps within Churchill's inner circle) is that Germany is irresistable and that England will be next. You are then able to understand why half of the Battle of Britain was won just by the simple fact of evacuating the BEF from Dunkirk because it re-instilled some confidence and fighting spirit among the British people and armed forces by the simple fact of not being a complete disaster. After covering Dunkirk, the book makes clear how the sight of Spitfires and Hurricanes fighting over Dover, every day showing up to fight when many believed they would be swept aside quickly, grew that fighting spirit into a hardened resolve. Finally, the bombing of London added a desire for revenge into the mix (something Americans can identify with after September 11) and by the time the first raid on London ended, you understand that the Battle of Britain was already over because her people would never allow themselves to be conquered.
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Summary: Truly their finest hour....
Review: Without a doubt, this is an excellent book. Therein, the reader will receive a view into the lives British fliers, sailors, soldiers, and civilians as well as "detached" observers, such as American journalists from the Battle of France through the Blitz. What made this book special to me, was that I had the opportunity to learn more about the fellows of 17 Sqn. Some years ago, I had the privilege to correspond with one of the characters - Harold Arthur Cooper Bird-Wilson (known in the book as "Birdy" Bird-Wilson), DFC DSO; this book gave me a better insight to not only to his experiences, but also to those across the spectrum of British society during that time.
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