How to fly the legendary fighter plane in combat using the manuals and instructions supplied by the RAF during the Second World War. An amazing array of leaflets, books and manuals were issued by the War Office during the Second World War to aid pilots in flying the Supermarine Spitfire, here for the first time and using the original 1940s setting, they are collated into a single book. An introduction is supplied by expert aviation historian Dilip Sarkar. Other sections include aircraft recognition, how to act as an RAF officer, bailing out etc.
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About the Author
Fascinated by the Battle of Britain since childhood, Dilip Sarkar remains both moved and inspired by the story of Churchill's fabled Few, those young airmen who stood between freedom and a Britain dominated by Nazi Germany. Since the 1970s he has met and interviewed more Battle of Britain pilots than any other historian. He has researched the subject thoroughly and has published over twenty books, including THE FEW: THE STORY OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN IN THE WORDS OF THE PILOTS ('A well-researched, detailed chronicle of the Battle of Britain - written by the men who fought so bravely to repulse the German raiders' HUGH SEBAG-MONTEFIORE), LAST OF THE FEW: 20 BATTLE OF BRITAIN FIGHTER PILOTS TELL THEIR EXTRAORDINARY STORIES ('Dilip knows more about me and the pilots with whom I flew during the Battle of Britain than we do! If anyone ever needs to know anything about the RAF during the summer of 1940, don't ask the Few, ask him!' GEORGE 'GRUMPY' UNWIN, Battle of Britain fighter ace), THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: THE PHOTOGRAPHIC KALEIDOSCOPE ('An excellent book' LADY BADER), BADER'S TANGMERE SPITFIRES ('A most diligent and carefully researched account' JOHNNIE JOHNSON, the RAF's top scoring fighter ace in WW2), FIGHTER PILOT ('This book deserves to achieve success' DAME VERA LYNN). In 2003, Dilip was made an MBE for services to aviation history, and elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society in 2006. He lives in Worcester.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Fréd04
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
If this book had contained only the Spitfire pilot manual, it would have been disapointing. However, the Author had the excellent idea to add many extras that really makes it worth your money:
- more than 40 pages of introduction by the Author.
- extracts of a Pilot log book (from Johnnie Johnson, Britain's best fighter pilot).
- examples of Pilot combat reports (still from J. Johnson).
- 4 WW2 manuals:
1. Forget-me-nots for fighters
2. General notes on air gunnery and air fighting
3. Bag the hun!
4. Warplanes: card game for aircraft spotters.
Overall, 274 pages of very good material for less than 6£.
- more than 40 pages of introduction by the Author.
- extracts of a Pilot log book (from Johnnie Johnson, Britain's best fighter pilot).
- examples of Pilot combat reports (still from J. Johnson).
- 4 WW2 manuals:
1. Forget-me-nots for fighters
2. General notes on air gunnery and air fighting
3. Bag the hun!
4. Warplanes: card game for aircraft spotters.
Overall, 274 pages of very good material for less than 6£.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By M. Jones
Format:Paperback
This is a good addition to the wealth of literature on the Spitfire. The book presents various wartime documents with a solid introduction from historian Dilip Sarkar. It doesn't really feature any new research or previously unseen material, but makes for generally interesting reading.
It is worth noting that although the title of the book is 'The Spitfire Manual 1940', the vast majority of the content is not drawn from the period of the Battle of Britain. Instead the book collates extracts from Johnnie Johnson's log book dated March 1944 to May 1945, a combat report also from 1944, an aircraft movement card from 1941-43, some instructional booklets for fighter pilots, again largely from 1943, and some aircraft recognition profiles of major Axis and Allied aircraft types. This is decent stuff, but doesn't really give a sense of how the Spitfire was being operated in what perhaps was the aircraft's true test, when the Spitfire's excellent performance and combat record really established its reputation among pilots and the British public. As such the book will be of limited use if the Battle of Britain is your area of interest, or if you really want to know what it might have been like to fly Spitfires at that time. The documents are also all facsimile reproductions, and although the print quality is generally good it does decline at various points throughout the book. Neither is it very easy on the eye!
The book has some interesting content, but is not among the best books on the Spitfire (even in this price range), nor is it as good as some of the other historical pocket books that are available.
It is worth noting that although the title of the book is 'The Spitfire Manual 1940', the vast majority of the content is not drawn from the period of the Battle of Britain. Instead the book collates extracts from Johnnie Johnson's log book dated March 1944 to May 1945, a combat report also from 1944, an aircraft movement card from 1941-43, some instructional booklets for fighter pilots, again largely from 1943, and some aircraft recognition profiles of major Axis and Allied aircraft types. This is decent stuff, but doesn't really give a sense of how the Spitfire was being operated in what perhaps was the aircraft's true test, when the Spitfire's excellent performance and combat record really established its reputation among pilots and the British public. As such the book will be of limited use if the Battle of Britain is your area of interest, or if you really want to know what it might have been like to fly Spitfires at that time. The documents are also all facsimile reproductions, and although the print quality is generally good it does decline at various points throughout the book. Neither is it very easy on the eye!
The book has some interesting content, but is not among the best books on the Spitfire (even in this price range), nor is it as good as some of the other historical pocket books that are available.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Great to be able to see facsimiles of the actual manuals used by the RAF. Well produced book
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Super Spitfire book
This Spitfire book is really excellent. Very well written, well illustrated and a must for any Spitfire fan like me.
Published 6 days ago by H. G. Weatherley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gift for 17 year old
Purchased this for my son who has been in the Air Cadets for the past 4.5years. He is delighted with it and has already taken it in to show his squadron.
Published 1 month ago by mama
5.0 out of 5 stars
does what it says on the can
basically this book does as it says on the "instructions" - a good intro with a basic background of the spitfire's development and active history combined with some... Read more
Published 2 months ago by fiskybabe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spitfire history books
I bought this for my partner, a long standing spitfire enthusiast and once he started reading it he kept picking it up. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Kerry from Worksop
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect
Perfect christmas gift, exactly what i expected, quick postage, easy to deal with, would highly recommended to a friend. Thanks.
Published 4 months ago by Emma Brent
3.0 out of 5 stars
Isn't what it looks like....
Sorry, this wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting a reprint of an actual manual. However, my father loved it, it consists of memos sent to spitfire pilots during the war,... Read more
Published 5 months ago by 2cockatoo
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Reading Material
Greatly informative and enjoyable reading giving an insight as to the challenges facing the pilot of such a thoroughbred machine written by a knowledgable and passionate writer who... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Nick Gethin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect gift for a spitfire enthusiast
Bought this for my husband as he loves anything to do with Spitfires. He loves flicking through and reading this and when his dad came over they were fighting over it!!!
Published 16 months ago by jungle-family
3.0 out of 5 stars
Spitfire Manual
The information and detail are very good. The quality of the publication left a bit to be desired. However, for the price, it is good value.
Published on 27 Mar 2011 by Antipodean
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating insight into flying and fighting in the Spitfire
"Spitfire Manual 1940" which has been edited by Battle of Britain historian Dilip Sarkar is a wonderful and very insightful look at flying and fighting in the Spitfire. Read more
Published on 18 Jan 2011 by Smithy
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