A week ago I purchased
Dr Richard North's new book on the Battle of Britain which is a tribute to the 'many'. I reproduce my
Amazon review here:
As Napoleon once noted: "history is a set of lies agreed upon".
Historical events are often portrayed in nice neat categories with a
large dose of `good old days' nostalgia chucked on top.
The
reality much more often than not turns out to be very different. And so
it proves with Dr North's superb very readable book here. The Battle of
Britain conjures up evocative images of long hot days, soaring Spitfires
and the bravery of the few repelling an anticipated German invasion.
The truth though is somewhat more complicated and as a consequence far
more fascinating. With rigorous research and analytical clarity this
book redresses the balance away from the myth and towards the `many' who
all played their part in the war; the RN, the Army, the Merchant Navy
and notably the civilian population.
One of the main themes
throughout the book is that the civilian population was in fact fighting
a war on two fronts - against the Germans and against their own
Government and Establishment. Many of the criticisms at the time would
not look out of place today, the London centric newspapers (ignoring the
rest of the UK, like Hull, which was being bombed relentlessly) an
incompetent Government, the authoritarian nature and pettiness of
Magistrates as over-the-top punishments were handed out for `dubious'
non-offences, the reluctance to provide decent public shelters and the
refusal to allow the use of Underground stations as refuge until the
people took matters into their own hands.
This book is less a
criticism of the `few' narrative, more a tribute to the millions of
unsung heroes without whom we would have lost. It's also a reminder that
the real enemy then (as is now) is in fact our own Government.
A very worthy addition to any bookshelf.
