A thoroughly researched book, primarily about 19 Squadron based at Duxford. Full of the recognisable heroes of our greatest hour.

It introduced me to many new pilots and auxiliary staff, provided insight to the challenges encountered with flying the Spitfire, particularly the cannons, and shone a light on pilots such as Douglas Bader and the political machinations behind the scenes.

Reading the ebook version I found the way the photographs were laid out in the text confusing, and disruptive to the narrative. The very nature of the subject material did result in some mundane dialogue and there was a little too much repetition of some matters for my taste.

That said, I do recommend this book for history and aviation enthusiasts. There are some real insights to be found.

SYNOPSIS

Spitfire is a new version of the original book with the same title. The author has updated it with a ‘wider context including social, political, aviation and military history.’ It tells the tale of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) from its inception through the Battle of Britain and a little beyond. Its primary subject is Squadron Leader Brian John Edward “Sandy” Lane DFC; fighter pilot and flying ace of the RAF.

Mr Sarkar has written this book as a tribute to Squadron Leader (SL) Lane DFC; and all of the men and women, on both sides, that took part in the Battle of Britain. The book covers the RAF from WWI through the many changes into WWII. He explains the politics and tactics of the time used in defending England in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. He further discusses the men and women who made up the RAF, their jobs, and family lives. He tells the harrowing tales of the real life live-or-die dogfights that took place over England and the Channel. Mr Sarkar includes personal recollections, pictures, and stories from the real people that took part in this time of historic conflict.

The book is filled with the actual logbook entries of the pilots. Sarkar also includes the letters and diary entries of the actual people who participated in the action. Sarkar discusses the individual players, their lives, their careers, and for the survivors their post-war lives.

Although the book is focused on SL Brian Lane DFC, Sarkar incorporates 19 Squadron and all the key personal: the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF’s), the ground crews, the pilots, the decision making leadership, and of course the politicians. He further discusses the technology of the time and how it was used in the defense strategy.

The author thoroughly covers the Spitfire; from its inception through the many models and modifications. We discover the shortcomings of some models that have catastrophic consequences for the pilots that flew them. We learn just how the Spitfire stacked up to the Messerschmitt ME 109 and its different variants. Finally, Sarkar discusses the Spitfire against the Focke-Wulf FW 190.

CONCLUSION

Spitfire is an exceptionally researched historical account of 19 Squadron and the Battle of Britain. The information contained within its pages is in-depth and vast. From the different types of airplanes the RAF used from WWI through the beginnings of WWII, to the political infrastructure and bickering that took place.

I found the book to be a bit confusing at times. My epub copy didn’t differentiate from the story to the photo captions causing confusion when the story just changed mid-sentence to photo caption. This issue occurred throughout the entire book. However, if you can get past that little inconvenience, the information contained within its pages is priceless.

Overall, I found this book a little difficult to read at times due to the jumping around from person to person and the photo captioning intermixed with the main text. However, I immensely enjoyed learning the history of Squadron Leader Brian Lane DFC, and all of the men and women who took part in the book. I definitely enjoyed reading all about the Spitfire and the dogfights that the pilots flew.

I do recommend this book to anyone interested in Aviation History, the Battle of Britain, or the historic account of the Royal Air Force.

⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.

The story of the Spitfire set during the Battle of Britain operated by 19 Sqn based at RAF Duxford, brings alive the evolution of the aircraft in the early days of WWll, the individuals who flew the aircraft, how the defence was organised and the frictions at the highest levels of Fighter Command that affected the Battle. The Defence of Great Britain was foreseen as an essential component of preparedness given the rising power of Nazi Germany during the mid-1930s and Air Marshal Hugh Dowding had that foresight to promote the Fighter organisation that proved so effective during the Battle. The main components were the RDF (radar) systems, Fighter Command reporting, command and control system, Observer Corps and the Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons. These components we the physical tools that were employed to allow the pilots of Fighter Command to meet the enemy in good time to protect the country and those assets.
I was able to understand this system as I was a young officer during the Cold War serving in the RAF on my first appointment at RAF Leconfield. The Station was commanded by a former Battle of Britain pilot and No 19 Sqn was based there flying the Lightning aircraft. The squadron retained much of its proud history of WWll operations, so this book was of great interest to me as my own father was a WWll Spitfire fighter pilot.
The timeline of the story of the interrelationships of the Command structure, the individual pilots’ combat history and personal lives, and the evolution of the Spitfire aircraft in operations is fascinating and the author’s style brings it all to life. I found the detailed history contained facts I had not read before and having read a considerable number of similar books, new information with a personal touch made for an addictive read. The one thing that stands out is that this history will never be repeated and the present younger generations should be encouraged to read such books as a reminder that the young men and women of that generation were more than capable of stepping up to the many challenges the world faced then.

WW2, military-history, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-figures*****

If anyone is accustomed to due diligence, it's the author, a retired police detective. He has applied this skill to researching the history of the use of the Spitfire in the RAF and particularly the men of 19 Squadron. Special emphasis on Squadron Leader Lane. The whole has been (obviously) thoroughly researched, documented, and peppered with archival photos. The presentation is as interesting as can be, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Pen & Sword and Air World via NetGalley. Thank you!

Spitfire! Dilip Sarkar MBE

I've had a lifelong interest in planes, especially the iconic Spitfire and Hurricane and their roles in the Battle of Britain.
This new book gives a fascinating insight into 19 Squadron and Squadron Leader Brian Lane, it's history, and their role as the first squadron testing and in combat with the new Spitfire. With the authors accounts from the squadrons survivors of the war, it paints a picture of how pilots, engineers, and ground staff coped during the early war years, the Dunkirk evacuation, and on through the Battle of Britain. The book also has a lot of original photographs from this period.
As I read this book, I felt as if I was there, living through this period with The Few.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, I would recommend this to all.

An excellent account of a British squadron during the Battle of Britain. The firsthand accounts and personal stories really enriches the learning and makes this book a great read. If you are a history fan, this is a must read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A fantastic book covering the exploits of 19 squadron and its pilots in the early years of World War 2.
The book is very well written with a great balance of facts and story telling, very much a compelling read.
It is fascinating with details of each pilot and their own stories, detailing operations flown, aircraft lost or shot down, with a full breakdown of victories and losses at the end of the book.
So if you are interested in military aviation or just love a war story this book will satisfy, definitely one for the collection!