Dilip Sarkar has written extensively on WW2, specifically the Battle of Britain and is a widely recognised expert on the subject. His 8 volume history of the Battle, of which this is the first volume, must be destined to be his magnus opus and I think this book marks an excellent start. In it he covers the build up of the RAF and the Luftwaffe from the end of WW1 explaining in detail the different strategic thinking and the aircraft and tactics which resulted. It is quite fascinating, well explained and made more interesting by focusing on the people involved in making decisions. He uses many sources and presents data to back up his arguments. He labours over the actual start date for the BofB providing good reason why the official date needs examining. He also makes a controversial challenge to the conventional view that this was an unequal battle against overwhelming odds. Once again, backed up with hard data.
He presents detailed descriptions of early engagements in the campaign tying together information from official debriefs of both RAF and Luftwaffe aircrew as well as from memoirs and journals. These I found both fascinating and tragic with the high loss of life. Within these recollections the dog fight tactics and technical limitations of the aircraft involved become more real and I found easier to appreciate. I am curious to read in future volumes whether this approach reveals more about what pilots thought of some of the more controversial tactics such as Mallory’s “Big Wing”.
I would suggest that this and future volumes will be must reads for all with an interest in the BofB or the air war in the early days of WW2.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Pen and Sword for providing access to this book.

Dilip Sarkar’s first of eight projected volumes on the Battle of Britain offers just the type of military history I relish. Detailed description of incidents, a profusion of primary source quotations, ample historical context, and satisfying analysis of the strategic and tactical implications of technology, the commanders, and the political environment. While not afraid to get into basics, Sarkar is also unafraid of digging deep into detail, such as in the evolution of the various fighter craft that fought the Battle. He doesn’t tread much new ground in this volume - lauding Dowding and Park is the convention (though dare say the correct) viewpoint.

Do we need eight volumes on a sixteen week long battle? Time will tell but it seems exhaustive and potentially exhausting, despite Sarkar being quite a readable rider. Certainly this volume could have been marginally shorter; was a multi-page description of the sinking of HMS Royal Oak by a submarine necessary or on point? This is a labor of love and I think will be the definitive history of a defining battle.

Loved learning more about WWII in Britain because as an American my history lessons in school were lacking. But this book was a good for someone to start with.

I have recently concluded my read of Dilip Sarkar's "Battle of Britain: The Gathering Storm" (a prelude to the Spitfire Summer of 1940), made available to me in the form of an ARC by Pen and Sword Books. This book, written in association with the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust and the National Memorial to the Few in Great Britain, is the first in a proposed eight book series to deal with aspects of the Battle of Britain. The author, who holds an MBE, is a recognized authority on the events he is attempting to cover as you might expect given his associates in the creation of this series. This first volume will appeal principally to students and scholars either just approaching this subject or those who wish to revisit it through the prism of fresh scholarship. The book looks at any number of developments in the aerial arms race prior to the outbreak of World War II and includes detailed and interesting technical analyses of both the Supermarine Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane, which would bear the brunt of the war in the air for the RAF during the Battle of Britain. I found this amongst the most interesting parts of this text. The author proceeds into the early months of the of the war with a light coverage of the developing war in the air prior to the Battle of Britain. I would be seriously remiss if I did not point out his detailed discussion of the embryonic home defense network as it evolved in the months and years just prior to the outbreak of war (principally between the Munich agreement and the fall of France). It is also worth noting that he relies heavily on primary sources relating to the experience of flying and fighting at this time; consequently, there is no shortage of useful insights garnered from pilots with experience of the weapon systems and the evolving tactical approach to the war in the air. If this book is any example of what we can expect from the rest of the series, it is going to be useful to scholars and students alike and belongs in any library which purports to have an interest in the Battle of Britain.