Britain Under Fire

An incredibly detailed chronicle of the devastating German bombing raids over Britain during World War Two, from 1940 to 1945.

Perfect for fans of Juliet Gardiner, Joshua Levine, John Conen, and Richard Overy.

On 4th September 1939, following the announcement that Britain was at war with Germany, Hitler fatefully declared: "We will raze their cities to the ground." While the nation's young men were sent away to fight, the Führer planned to bring death and destruction to the homes and families they had left behind.

Charles Whiting draws on a wealth of original source material in this book - including personal interviews with those directly involved on both sides, letters, newspaper and parliamentary reports, and other written works - to present a vivid and personal account of five terrible years of war on the home front.

Whiting explores the political situation in the country prior to the first bombs falling, the decisions that were made, and how the authorities planned and prepared - or failed to prepare - for what was to come. While the basic story of the Blitz may be relatively well known, this book is packed with incredible details about the country's organisation and its ability to respond to the devastation. Whiting also presents harrowing accounts of human suffering and the often hidden, darker side of how people responded to tragedy.

The story concludes with the terrifying arrival of Hitler's secret weapons - the V-1 and V-2 rockets - the advance intelligence, Britain's response, and their impact on a nation already pushed to the brink.