Fighter Boys: Saving Britain 1940 and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more

Buy New

Quantity:

Buy Used

Used - Very Good See details

Price: �1.59

Fulfilled by Amazon

More Buying Choices

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Sorry, this item is not available in

Image not available for
Colour:

Image not available

See 1 customer image

Share your own customer images

Search inside this book

Start reading Fighter Boys: Saving Britain 1940 on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Fighter Boys: Saving Britain 1940 [Paperback]

Patrick Bishop (Author)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

RRP:	�8.99
Price:	�4.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
Deal Price:
You Save:	�4.00 (44%)
	o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Only 5 left in stock (more on the way).
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.

Want it Thursday, 20 June? Choose Express delivery at checkout. Details

	Amazon Price	New from	Used from
Kindle Edition	�4.74	--	--
Paperback	�4.99	--	--
Show # more paperbacks
Show fewer paperbacks

Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Special Offer until June 30, 2013: Receive an additional £5 promotional Gift Certificate, when you trade-in at least £10 worth of books. Learn more.

› See more product promotions

Book Description

Publication Date: 5 April 2004

In the summer of 1940, the future of Britain and the free world depended on the morale and skill of the young men of Fighter Command. This is their story.

The Battle of Britain is one of the most crucial battles ever fought, and the victory of Fighter Command over the Luftwaffe has always been celebrated as a classic feat of arms. But, as Patrick Bishop shows in this superb history, it was also a triumph of the spirit in which the attitudes of the pilots themselves played a crucial part. Reaching beyond the myths to convey the fear and exhilaration of life on this most perilous of frontlines, Patrick Bishop offers an intimate and compelling account that is a soaring tribute to the exceptional young men of Fighter Command.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; }

In the summer of 1940, the future of Britain and the free world depended on the morale and skill of the young men of Fighter Command. This is their story.

Frequently Bought Together

Price For All Three: �16.72

Show availability and delivery details

Buy the selected items together

This item: Fighter Boys: Saving Britain 1940 by Patrick Bishop Paperback �4.99
Bomber Boys: Fighting Back 1940-1945 by Patrick Bishop Paperback �4.99
Battle of Britain: A day-to-day chronicle, 10 July-31 October 1940 by Patrick Bishop Paperback �6.74

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Bomber Boys: Fighting Back 1940-1945
› Patrick Bishop

4.6 out of 5 stars (45)

Paperback

�4.99
Battle of Britain: A day-to-day chronicle, …
› Patrick Bishop

4.6 out of 5 stars (10)

Paperback

�6.74
3 Para
› Patrick Bishop

4.3 out of 5 stars (51)

Paperback

�6.74
First Light (Penguin World War II Collection)
› Geoffrey Wellum

4.8 out of 5 stars (187)

Paperback

�6.89
Wings
› Patrick Bishop

4.3 out of 5 stars (18)

Hardcover

�15.25
Target Tirpitz: X-Craft, Agents and Dambusters …
› Patrick Bishop

4.7 out of 5 stars (42)

Paperback

�4.87

Product details

Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial; New Ed edition (5 April 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0006532047
ISBN-13: 978-0006532040
Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 19.8 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 148,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Review

‘I know of no more thoughtful nor yet more moving study of their achievement.’ Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph

‘A living, breathing monument to the fighter boys.’ Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

‘As a vivid chronicle of who the Battle of Britain pilots were, what motivated them, and why they were ultimately successful, “Fighter Boys” is unsurpassed.’ Daily Telegraph

‘No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved…there can’t be a finer history.’ James Holland, New Statesman

‘Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.’ T. J. Binyon, Evening Standard

About the Author

Patrick Bishop is the author of the critically acclaimed and best-selling Fighter Boys, Bomber Boys, 3 Para and Ground Truth. Previously, he was a foreign correspondent for over twenty years, reporting from conflicts all over the world.

Inside This Book (Learn More)

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

Bomber Boys: Fighting Back 1940-1945 by Patrick Bishop Paperback
4.6 out of 5 stars (45)

�4.99

First Light (Penguin World War II Collection) by Geoffrey Wellum Paperback
4.8 out of 5 stars (187)

�6.89

Ten Fighter Boys by Jimmy Corbin Paperback
4.8 out of 5 stars (29)

Battle of Britain: A day-to-day chronicle, 10 July-31 October 1940 by Patrick Bishop Paperback
4.6 out of 5 stars (10)

�6.74

› Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

2 star

4.0 out of 5 stars

4.0 out of 5 stars

Write a customer review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Battle of Britain book? 15 Feb 2004

By Timothy De Ferrars

Format:Paperback

Another Battle of Britain book? Yes...and a worthwhile addition to that crowded shelf.

Fighter Boys takes the pilot's view of the aerial war of 1940 and succeeds in painting an eloquent and often harrowing picture of what it was like for those who fought. As far as history is concerned, Bishop has nothing much new to say, but this gives him space to concentrate on the human tales of both sides, RAF and Luftwaffe.

Patrick Bishop's greatest strength is his keen understanding of the RAF's history and mentality, and he does a fine job of explaining its complex attitude to rank, nationality, individualism and class.

My main criticism is that the technical dimension is neglected. While the book contains many insights into the lives of the pilots and ground crew of Fighter Command - and deals well with the question of how RAF tactics compared with those of the Luftwaffe - it omits a great deal of the technical detail that actually bound together the lives and experiences of those involved. I'm thinking of aircraft manufacture, testing, maintenance and armament; flying techniques and pet modifications favoured by the pilots; the detection of enemy aircraft; and airborne communication and ground control, both at day and at night.

But this book is really very good: humane, balanced and compelling. If you are already widely read on the subject of the Battle of Britain, you will find much of interest. If on the other hand you are new to the subject, this book will provide an excellent and balanced overview and will spark off new and rewarding lines of further reading.

Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Never forget them 23 Jun 2006

By M. G. Jones

Format:Paperback

Patrick Bishop has written a detailed and poignant account of the dark days of 1940, and the Hurricane and Spitfire pilots who stood between us and the dreaded Nazis!

Many memoir and diary entries are quoted to give us a real impression for the feelings of these young men as they went into battle - not just the gung-ho sentiments of the standard war movies. Particularly touching were those pilots mourning the deaths of close comrades; one man seeing the towel that his roommate had thrown casually on the window sill that morning, little realising that he would never return to pick it up to go for another shower.

The story moves backwards and forwards chronologically a little, but this is almost inevitable with this sort of anecdotal history.

An enjoyable read and a good testament to these bravest of men...

Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A page-turning read, and superb historical account 1 Oct 2003

By Twojackets

Format:Paperback

This book is a compelling antidote to the 'Biggles-style' romanticisation of the Battle of Britain. Yes, it starts with images of pipe-smoking, beer-swilling young toffs of the RAF - heroes who invented and perfected the art of air warfare, adopting an almost medievial code of conduct towards a respected enemy. But it gets pogressively darker as the battle for air supmacy is shown to degenenerate into a cynical conflict of sacrificial human resources almost on a par with the 'human death waves' of the trenches. Page-turning, eye-opening, educational, and profoundly moving.

Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars History brought to life. 1 Sep 2009

By Valonia

Format:Paperback

I bought this book because I was interested in the personal experiences of those who fought for their country in WWII. At school we learned about territories and treaties of the time but knew nothing about the personal sacrifices others made so that we were born free from oppression. This book is beautifully written and includes extracts from pilot diaries and interviews as well as photographs allowing the reader to put faces to the names of the pilots who offered their lives so heroically. Not only does it offer personal experiences, but it follows the progress, and at times errors, involved from the inception of aerial combat to its culmination at The Battle of Britain.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and my next purchase will be Patrick Bishop's Bomber Boys.

Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars extraordinary days 24 Sep 2004

By "sgp64"

Format:Paperback

Bishop has produced perhaps the definive chronicle of the fight for superiorty in the skies over Britain in 1940. Drawing on many first hand accounts of the battle this book draws the reader into the very heart of the conflict, a warts and all account of the glamour and the horror of aerial combat. I found the book incredibly moving and it left me with an enormous admiration for those brave men who fought and died for freedom. It is a powerful book that debunks many myths and has left me with a far greater understanding of the conflict than any other book I have read on the subject. I'm off to the musuem at Duxford!

Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent First Hand History 22 Oct 2012

By Simon Binning

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Patrick Bishop has a real talent for this type of history. Yes, this book is a history of the Battle of Britain; it gives a really good background to the state of the RAF at the start of the war, and details the events that followed. But what Bishop does so well is to personalise the whole thing.
He tells the story from the viewpoint for those who wrote it; you get to know the pilots and those around them. Some inevitably last longer than others; some don't even get the chance to unpack. This intimacy brings home to the reader that it wasn't really like the myth. It was hard, bitter and unglamorous. The heroes in the papers - and there were real heroes - were more for morale and propaganda purposes. The reality was somewhat different.
Overall, a great book; well paced and always readable. I think the pilots would approve of this as a memorial to themselves and their kind.

Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

› See all 20 customer reviews (newest first) on Amazon.co.uk

Write a customer review

Would you like to see more reviews about this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see the review 4.0 out of 5 stars

Was this review helpful? Let us know

Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars very good

Overall good background to the subject, nice details about indiviuals with a readable style. get bomber boys as well, that was excellent

Published 3 months ago by david

3.0 out of 5 stars The cover photo is better than the book

For me, the hugely evocative cover photo conveys the spirit of the 'fighter boys' in the Battle of Britain in a much better way than most of the text in the book. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Clipper 314

4.0 out of 5 stars makes good use of first person accounts, but still limited

Patrick Bishop, Fighter Boys. The Battle of Britain, 1940. London, 2003, Penguin, xiv, 434 pp., maps, illustrations, notes, index

The book is a history of the Royal Air... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Elizabeth Ashe

4.0 out of 5 stars fighter boys

Having served in the RAF ( home & abroad )Ihave had the honour of meeting
many officers who flew with the FEW
Having read the book , it brought back many memories... Read more

Published 11 months ago by john fogg

4.0 out of 5 stars a good honest account

A fairly detailed account of the Battle of Britain with many references to the `human stories' surrounding the characters, mostly pilots, as the events of 1940 unfolded. Read more

Published on 30 Jan 2011 by Martin Clifford

1.0 out of 5 stars Fighter Boys

While this book is a history and in my view an exceptionally entertaining read, it is also a highly personal book that enabled me to identify with the very personal side of war. Read more

Published on 17 Sep 2010 by D. F. Cook

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy testament to the pilots and the planes...

The Battle of Britain is one of the mythologised events that everyone growing up in Britain knows something about: the Spitfires, the Hurricanes, 'the Few'. Read more

Published on 23 July 2010 by C. Ball

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spitfire of a book

I loved this book - utterly compelling subject matter, brilliantly composed. How annoying it was to have to go to work when I wanted to stay home and finish this. Read more

Published on 31 May 2009 by J. C. Richardson

4.0 out of 5 stars The Fighter Boys

Thank you This book "The Fighter Boys" arrived ahead of predicted time. As it was a present, I shall be unable to review the actual book.

Published on 17 May 2009 by J. B. Smith

4.0 out of 5 stars Fitting Testament to the Few

I struggled through the prologue, fearing a book stuffed of the same old cliches, to be pleasantly surprised at having discovered a real gem of a book. Read more

Published on 12 Aug 2008 by Mr. H. F. Murden

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jqOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jqOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jqOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; }