Books on WW2 Airwar in Europe

[brucewallace]

I've just been assigned a course on World War II by my university, and am trying to find a book on the airwar in Europe for the students to purchase (and, hopefully, read). I'd hoped for Len Deighton's book Fighter, but it appears to be out of print. My first choice for a topic would be the Battle of Britain, my second the bombing raids over Germany. Can anyone suggest any good books that are in print, preferably with the name of the publisher as well as author and title?

Thanks,
Bruce

[bsmith13]

If you are going to do Battle of Britain, there is nothing better or more definitive than Stephen Bungay's "The Most Dangerous Enemy". Don't get the illustrated version.

I would really like to see a book treat the combined bombing offensive over Germany, but no one that I know of has done that yet. They always split up into RAF/Night Bombing and USAAF/Daylight Bombing. And my knowledge of RAF/Night bombing is a hole in my education that I'd like to fill. For USAAF/Daylight bombing, try Robert Mrazek's "To Kingdom Come" or Donald Miller's "Masters of the Air". I've only read Mrazek, but Miller's book got very good reviews and is on my "to read" list.

[Baldrick62]

Bruce,
For the Battle of Britain, in addition to Stephen Bungay, I'd recommend http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?9247-WGS-Battle-of-Britain-The-Five-Months-That-Changed-History-May-October-1940 which delves much deeper into the Battle of France and the effect it had on both British and German posture and capabilities. Or, to take the opposite tack, Alfred Price's 'The Hardest Day' http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?4956-WGS-Hardest-Day-The concentrates on the events around 15 Aug 40.

All three books (Bungay, Holland & Price) are either recently published or re-printed.

For a definitive work on both the Battle of Britain and 'Bombing the British Way' you can't go past John Terraine's 'Right of the Line' http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?9210-WGS-Right-of-the-Line-The-The-Royal-Air-Force-in-the-European-War-1939-1945 although I'm not sure it's currently in print.

BofB

[Nightbomber]

What I could recommend is this:

"303Squadron - The Legendary Battle of Britain Fighter Squadron"

Author- Arkady Fiedler
ISBN - 978-1-60772-004-1 (2010)
Publisher -Republished by Aquila Polonica in 2010. Originally published in 1942.
Book Availability - Amazon (UK) - Amazon (US) -BookFinder

More here:
http://www.derekcrowe.com/post.aspx?id=106

Why?
It's a book written in 1940, so right after the Battle of Britain. It's full of action and aerial fights, living memoirs of pilots.
But above all it's also a special kind of literature. The book was written and smuggled to German Nazi occupied Poland to maintain the spirit of resistance. So besides the action your students may have a view of the authentic piece of war literature that created a legend.
It can also be read overnight, so you will not bother your students too much;)

[brucewallace]

Thanks to all who responded to my plea. I have decided to go with Bungay's The Most Dangerous Enemy. Thanks again.
Bruce