I have always been interested in reading about London during the Blitz and Martin Dugard has written one of the best books of this genre in my opinion. By following several characters through their pre-war experience and through the Blitz he has created a much more enhanced telling of the events through this timeline without bogging the reader down in too many characters and situations to be able to follow. Two extra efforts that I appreciated were the ways that these individuals impacted each others lives sometimes without having any knowledge of that impact and the use of the exact dates and quotes from Edward R Murrows reporting from London to enhance the situational awareness for the reader. Definitely recommend and appreciate the opportunity to read an advance copy of Taking London by Martin Dugard. #TakingLondon #NetGalley

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House for an early copy of Taking London by Martin Dugard

Reading Taking London gives the reader an utterly compelling and close-up account of the unfailing sacrifices of the Royal Air Force during the failed attempt by Nazi Germany to conquer the British Isles and its people.

The use of present tense verbs along with short and direct sentencing, author Martin Dugard has created a cast of characters, both recognizable and new to the reader caught up in the never-ending action of putting everything they have into defeating the enemy Third Reich. With Winston Churchill at the helm and pilots of unflinching courage, Dugard tackles the Battle of Britain with emphasis on the battle in the air.

The RAF pilots featured in this book come from differing backgrounds, countries (including the surprise of American Billy Fiske who found a way to fight with the British) and abilities, the tension never lets up just as it never let up in England in 1940. The dangers, the injuries and the tragedies are ever-present; yet so many of these incredible pilots are at their best when engaging the enemy in the air.

Included are many excerpts from Churchill's speeches, the radio journalism of Edward R. Morrow and the inevitable entry of the United States into the conflict.

This is a book not to be missed. One need not be any kind of history buff to become immersed in this writing.
The author's notes on the main characters following the war add a real sense of satisfaction for the reader along with a desire to read more on the subject.

With Europe plunging into WWII, and the rout at Dunkirk behind them, England is faced with the threat of an invasion by the Third Reich, and knows it stands alone.

Taking London skillfully weaves Winston Churchill's determination to defeat the Nazi war machine amongst the personal recollections of Dowding and pilots such as Townsend and Hillary; all taking place against the backdrop that is war time London.

Fast paced, when it needs to be to get the point across, and always grounded in a way the the reader feels the emotions that are written, Taking London is a book that any historian or lover of this period of WWII.will want to have on their bookshelf.

"Taking London: Winston Churchill and the Fight to Save Civilization," is the third book in a series written by Martin Dugard and published by the Penguin Group of Dutton. It follows "Taking Paris" and "Taking Berlin" and hews closely to the formula manifestly present in each of its predecessors. This review is predicated upon my examination of an ARC graciously supplied to me by the publisher. While the subtitle here is somewhat grandiose and perhaps a bit misleading, the author does do a superb job of contextualizing the Battle of Britain in much the same way as he did for the Battle for Paris and the Battle of Berlin. Like the earlier texts, "Taking London" is eclectic in terms of its narrative structure with the author focusing tightly on a chronologically centered series of events only loosely tied together. Each chapter focuses in an almost stream of consciousness fashion on one major figure or feature of the developing battle presented almost like a series of vignettes which can be read and enjoyed separately, but which, when examined in the context of the author's overall project, do a magnificent job of developing an overview of what was happening and why. The book's perspective is British, and there is little attempt to present a balanced narrative reflecting the experiences of all of the combatants, but what Dugard manages to accomplish is to humanise the scale of events and use that technique as an entry point to his overall project offering a surprisingly nuanced examination of the large and complex mechanisms of a world war from a variety of personal perspectives, thereby bringing events to life for many readers. This is not detailed or all encompassing military history, but it does offer useful and occasionally startling insights to scholars of this material as well as to the casual reader. Every public and school library should have a copy on hand. The text is both accessible and useful for those who would understand the events under discussion.

Thanks to the Publisher, Penguin Group, author Martin Dugard, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book. I certify the following review is my own original work.

Taking London is the story of the German air invasion of London (and Britain) during WWII, as told through the eyes of Winston Churchill, pilots for flew for the Royal Air Force, and other principals involved in this historical era, including Americans Edward R. Murrow and Billy Fiske.

Adolf Hitler tried his best to destroy London and most of England in preparation for a land invasion across the English Channel, but thanks to the grit, determination, and bravery of the RAF the Germans were never able to complete the mission. The story is one of heroism, resiliency, and the attitude of "never surrender."

I've read several different books about the bombing of London; this narrative is compelling and very focused. Dugard's writing style is at times choppy and direct, but it works and engages the reader. As a co-author for the Killing series Dugard is a master of this style of writing.

If you are interested in military history this will be a good addition to your library.

I've always enjoyed the "Killing" series by the author and Bill O'Reilly. It's easy to see the "bloodlines" in the "Taking" series from author, Martin Dugard. Dugard uses the same techniques of providing an educational examination of history as told through highly personal stories.

In this particular book, Dugard tells the story of the lead up to and the course of the Battle of Britain. We learn what went into the creation of the Spitfire, the fighter instrumental in defeating the vaunted Luftwaffe. We learn what it was like to be a pilot, facing wave after wave of enemy planes. But we also see what it was like to be someone on the ground. The role of journalist, Edward R. Murrow, is cleverly woven into this narrative. And we learn about the role of the politicians, including Churchill, Roosevelt and Kennedy.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in this critical period in time.