“Richly illuminating, this is a powerful and deeply engrossing history of the women whose unsung war work was consigned for so many years to the shadows.” – Sinclair McKay, author of The Secret Life of Bletchley Park
“Vividly written and based on superb research, this is undoubtedly one of the best books on the role of women at war so far.” – Michael Smith, author of The Secrets of Station X
“Captivating … I was hooked from page one.” – Lucy Fisher, author of Women in the War
“A compulsively readable group portrait of women who operated in almost every aspect of British intelligence. Meticulously researched and compellingly written – a triumph!” – Professor Richard J. Aldrich, author of GCHQ
“At the beginning of the Second World War, the prevailing view was that women didn’t have the education, intellect or ability for intelligence work. With a lively mix of personal testimony and scholarly analysis, Sarah-Louise Miller shows how in fact women performed superb work in the WAAF, restoring them to their rightful place in the full narrative of the conflict.” – Taylor Downing, author of Spies in the Sky
“The vital contribution of the enterprising and courageous women who helped to win the battle of the air in the Second World War is brought to life in Sarah-Louise Miller’s important and absorbing book.” – Wendy Moore, author of Endell Street
“An animated, in-depth account of the crucial role of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in the intelligence services during the Second World War … An important and welcome addition to scholarship on wartime women.” – Professor Penny Summerfield, University of Manchester
“A rip-roaring read.” – Professor Michael Goodman, King’s College London
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‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.’
The courageous pilots of the Royal Air Force who faced the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, affectionately known as ‘the Few’, are rightly hailed as heroes. Recently, efforts have been made to recognise the thousands who supported RAF operations behind the scenes. And yet one group remains missing from the narrative: the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force.
The Women Behind the Few explores the Second World War from the perspective of the WAAFs working behind the scenes to collect and disseminate vital intelligence – intelligence that resulted in Allied victory.
WAAFs worked within the Dowding System, the world’s most sophisticated air defence network, as well as in the Y Service, intercepting German communications. Throughout the Blitz, they used radar to aid Fighter and Bomber Commands in protecting Britain’s civilians.
WAAFs also assisted with the Allied offensive bombing campaign and were behind the discovery of the terrifying German V-weapons. Their work was critical ahead of the Normandy landings and they were present in their hundreds at Bletchley Park.
In this thrilling book, Sarah-Louise Miller brings the women of the force back to life, celebrating their wartime contribution to British military intelligence. Hidden behind the Few but vital to their success, WAAFs supplied the RAF with life-saving information. Here, for the first time, is their story.
