Review: Impressive
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 26, 2013
I love studying history. Since I was an elementary school student that read all of the autobiographies in my school library to my history education major in college, the study of history has been a major part of my life. I specialize in American, English, and Russian histories, especially the Cold War time period. Unfortunately, now that I am not in school taking a history course, I have few occasions to become excited while learning about a subject and have even forgotten some of what I have learned. Fortunately, I have discovered A Very Brief History series and recently enjoyed The Battle of Britain.The Battle of Britain: A Very Brief History by Mark Black recounts one of the most important battles of World War II. The novel is approximately thirty-six pages divided into seven chapters: A Decisive Air Battle, The Phony War, Germany Prepares to Attack Britain, The Battle of Britain, The Blitz, The Aftermath, and The Weapons and Technology Employed by Both Sides. Black excellently gives an overall analysis on the significance of the battle while providing enough information about the beginning and ending of the war to complement any knowledge the reader may or may not have about World War II.Although The Battle of Britain declares that it relates only the facts of the famous battle between Nazi Germany and the United Kingdom, this is not as dry as reading an encyclopedia. Somehow, Black allows the facts of the battle to breathe, without the addition of too many details or distracting opinions. In fact, any opinions (because history itself is just an opinion of what occurred) are teasing snippets from historians from both the winning and losing sides--just enough to either allow you to finish the book satisfied or bother you until you investigate further.