Title: The few : the American "Knights of the air" who risked everything to fight in the battle of Britain /
Authors: Kershaw, Alex
Publisher: Da Capo Press,
Year: 2006
Subjects: Great Britain. History.; World War, 1939-1945 Aerial operations, British.; Americans Great Britain History
Abstract: The never-before-told story of the American pilots--idealists, adventurers, romantics--who joined the RAF before America entered the war and helped save Britain in its darkest hour. Eight young Americans joined Britain's Royal Air Force, defying their country's neutrality laws and risking their U.S. citizenship to fight side-by-side with England's finest pilots in the summer of 1940--over a year before America entered the war. Flying the lethal and elegant Spitfire, they became "knights of the air" and with minimal training but plenty of guts, they dueled the skilled and fearsome pilots of Germany's Luftwaffe. By October 1940, they had helped England win the greatest air battle in the history of aviation. Winston Churchill once said of all those who fought in the Battle of Britain, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." These daring Americans were the few among the "few."--Publisher description.
Contents: Part one: The fall of France -- Soldiers -- The ace of spades -- Preludue -- Part two: Duel of eagles -- Per ardua ad astra -- The burning blue -- First blood -- The channel -- Tally-ho! -- That England might live -- Part three: the narrowest margin -- Huns in the sun -- Achtung! Spitfeuer! -- The blitz -- Their finest hour -- Part four: Last flights -- Horrido! -- The eagles -- Dawn patrol -- Epilogue -- they shall not grow old -- The "Few" -- Battle of Britain.