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The Slump: Britain in the Great Depression takes an illuminating look back at the 1930s - the decade of depression and economic crisis in the twentieth century.

•  Contains a new introduction, framing the historical narrative in the light of recent scholarship and discussing relevant new research
• A substantial final chapter which places the 1930s in historical context and highlights parallels and similarities to the current crisis and others that have occurred since the '30s.
• Statistical tables integrated throughout the text
• Illustrations in a plate section
• A revised and extended bibliography to include major new publications since the last edition

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“This truly wonderful book is now the best available synthesis of Roman Britain. It is also the most attractive. Essential.”—ChoiceThis lively and authoritative account of Britain as a Roman province sets the Roman conquest and occupation of the island within the larger context of Romano-British society and how it functioned.

In the introductory chapters, Guy de la Bédoyère outlines events from the Iron Age period immediately preceding the conquest in AD 43 to Emperor Honorius’s advice to the Britons in 410 to fend for themselves. He then discusses the issues facing Britons after the absorption of their culture by an invading army, including the role of government and the military in the province; religion, commerce, and technology; and day-to-day life both in towns and in the countryside.

Beautifully illustrated, the book includes reconstruction drawings, dramatic aerial views of Roman remains, and a wide array of images of Roman villas, mosaics, coins, pottery, and sculpture. The narrative is brought vividly to life by inscriptions found on tombstones and buildings and quotes from historians such as Tacitus and Dio, and there are feature boxes throughout devoted to topics ranging from the building of Hadrian’s Wall to the discovery of the Vindolanda writing tablets. 75 color and 210 black-and-white photographs and illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good Introduction to The Subject
Roman Britain is a tough subject to study. Many historians avoid it, and many feel challenged by it. Bedoyere's Roman Britain is a very well organized, argued, and presented book on the subject, and can be a great start before reading the classic study from Peter Salway. The book is filled with details that allow the reader to get a very full understanding of the origins of Britain's people, as well as the influence that Rome had on Britain.

The book includes numerous maps and photographs of the landscapes and archaeological findings that provide the interpretation of a very difficult subject to grasp. It also places a high emphasis on etymology and language.

Like most ancient civilization books, it can be bogged down with too much detail and information that can lead the book to seem very dry. Another criticism I have for the book comes from the many interpretations from archeology. Many interpretations of Ancient civilizations have a "probably" factor to them since written documents are limited to explain the significance of architecture and artifacts. These details can wander the reader from the main point the author is attempting to make, and Bedayore is no different. However, the book is a wonderful introduction forcomplete and full understanding of Roman Britain.

An average, but incredibly beautiful book, about a fascinating period
I like Bedoyere. His introduction sets the stage for the book in a fine way. His reminder that perhaps archaeology is not as infallible as many these days would like to believe is both welcome and the sign of a well-balanced historian. The book deals first with the history of the period of Roman occupation of Britain and then with social aspects of this era. The first half is sometimes dry and gets bogged down in facts and counter-facts. The second half is a great improvement and one gets an excellent picture of what Roman life in a frontier province could be like. His evidence is up to date, and includes information on the stadium unearthed in 2005. Bedoyere's style is uninteresting, and his work is nothing groundbreaking, but this goes by unnoticed because of the illustrations and the great interest he takes in the period. He is not afraid of making didactic points now and again, and occasionally draws comparisons between our world and its attitudes and the Roman world. Whether he's right or wrong in his conclusions, this is the sign of a good historian and I would encourage him to further develop this aspect of his work. Additionally, the fabulous presentation he gives by way of colorful maps, drawings and pictures are reason enough to buy this book. Pictures, especially to the student of history, are indeed worth a thousand words, and in this respect the book far exceeds expectations.

NEW ACCOUNT OF ROMAN BRITAIN


Whenever encountering a quality book published by Thames & Hudson, I will always take note of it. The swirling dolphins on the spine generally indicate a very good quality book for the money.

Until I purchased a copy of this book last year (2006) the only meaningful book on my shelves was ROMAN BRITAIN by Salway but the addition of this beautiful book rivals that from 1993 issued by Peter Salway.

Though this book is a bit smaller in overall size than the Salway book, it has as many pages and is loaded with both photographs and color illustrations, 285 illustrations and 75 color.Covering multitude of subjects from conquering and garrisoning, to town building and administration, to people, places, and religion, this is a wonderful book. It would be difficult to choose which book, this one or the Salway, is the better.

If a reader has any interest in this period, then this is a book he/she may want to at the very least browse through.

Semper Fi.

Fascinating period
I purchased this as a gift but much enjoyed going through and reading chunks of it before giving it. While I have seen many of the places discussed, that's not a requirement to enjoy this combination of good writing and modern publishing which can use run-of-color throughout. The author does a fine job of melding the physical remains of today with the long period (nearly 400 years) of Roman occupation of Britain.And it's not all about soldiers and fighting either--much of the book is given over to everyday life in Roman Britain, both by the small and wealthy elite and the far more numerous but individually forgotten common people. This is a fine example to show how history can be anything but dry and boring---the author does a good job communicating his enthusiam for his subject. ... Read more

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An epic social history of steamship travel from the 19th-century to the 'Lusitania', the 'Mauretania' and the 'Titanic'.The great transatlantic steamships became emblems of an age, of a Victorian audacity of spirit-cathedrals to man's harnessing of new technology. Through the innovations and designs of key engineers and shipping magnates -- Samuel Cunard, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Edward Knights Collins -- 'the largest movable objects in human history' were created. To the wealthy, steamships represented glamorous travel, but to most they offered cheap passage out of Europe to the New World. At their peak, steamships delivered one million new Americans each year, transforming the world's oceans from barriers into highways.In this fascinating history, Stephen Fox chronicles the tragedies that marked the evolution of the ocean liner, including the 1852 sinking of the 'Arctic', with the loss of three hundred and twenty-two lives, and the early 20th-century losses of the 'Lusitania' and the 'Titanic'.Using contemporary records, diaries and writing, he penetrates the experience of transatlantic passage and examines the societies created on the vast floating cities, 'a kind of third human environment, neither land nor sea but partaking of each, and bridging them in unprecedented ways'. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Delightful book about Atlantic steamship industry
Stephen Fox, the author, has done a masterful job in writing this well-researched book.His writing is lucid, engaging, and informative.Equally deft in vividly portraying personalities, describing technical challenges, and relating real-world business problems, Fox's history of the Atlantic steamship industry is guaranteed to please.The book is as much an economic history as it is a social history.

Fox starts the book by describing a typical sailing ship journey across the Atlantic in the early 1800's.A typical voyage is fraught with seasickness, stench, wetness, cold, monotony, and grave danger.But as the burgeoning populations of Europe seek a safety valve to America, the era of steamships and great steamship captains arrives.The book follows pioneering visionaries and their steamship lines; such as Samuel Cunard, Edward Collins, Isambard Kingdom Brunel (Great Western), William Inman, Thomas Ismay (White Star), Clement Griscom (American Steamship), Albert Ballin (Hamburg-American), and Hermann Meier (North German Lloyd).Fox gives us a short personal history for each captain and his role in shaping his line.

Fox also goes on to describe the most important technical innovations the Atlantic steamship industry took up (paddle wheels, reciprocating steam engines, condensers, steam turbines, and screw propellers being the most significant) and the renowned contractors that produced these masterpieces of Victorian engineering.But success was never guaranteed.Shipwrecks could, and did happen, with consequent loss of life, money, and prestige.Further, poor -and economically unrestrained - engineering could produce titanic boondoggles such as the 'Great Eastern' steamship.

Finally, the book has a great social element in describing life at sea for both passengers and crew.Passengers in the first half of this great era often freely rubbed shoulders amongst people of all classes - something unusual in highly stratified Victorian society.Fox compares the steamship as both a town (with all its diverse citizenry and occupations) as well as a functional building (with toilets, dining rooms, bedrooms, libraries, etc.).He finishes by closely detailing two of the last great steamships - Lusitania and Mauretania.

This is a really fascinating history with colorful characters and difficult engineering challenges.It has some great photos of these now vanished maritime colussae.I highly recommend this book.
... Read more

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The Cambridge Economic History of Modern Britain is a comprehensive account of the economic history of Britain since 1700, based on the most up-to-date research. Roderick Floud and Paul Johnson have assembled well-known international scholars to produce a set of volumes which serve as a textbook for undergraduate students as well as an authoritative reference guide to the subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Suitable only for an under graduate course .
This book is good for a survey course for undergraduate history students . Its not for any serious reading. For the first time , I feel that Cambridge Univ. Press could do such kind of poor job at bringing out a two volume set with so much paper and weight - and hardly any content for serious research or reference. I will have to return both these volumes.

It does not even have a table to show the iron production over the 18th and 19th century. Britain was dependent on almost 50% of its iron demand on imports and that also in the high quality iron from Russia and Sweden till 1800.The capital expropriation from Bengal during 1760-80 is not even mentioned. But again it is for undergraduate students. ... Read more

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'One could not ask for a more meticulous or scholarly assessment of what Britain meant to the Romans, or Rome to Britons, than Peter Salway's Monumental Study' Frederick Raphael, Sunday Times From the invasions of Julius Caesar to the unexpected end of Roman rule in the early fifth century AD and the subsequent collapse of society in Britain, this book is the most authoritative and comprehensive account of Roman Britain ever published for the general reader. Peter Salway's narrative takes into account the latest research including exciting discoveries of recent years, and will be welcomed by anyone interested in Roman Britain. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent, easily understood outline of Roman Britain History
I wanted a book with a easily understood story of the history of Roman Britain for my own personal knowledge.I found it in this book.Highly recommend.

A Concise History of Roman Britain
Peter Salway's book offers a good insight into the evolution of Roman Britain from Julius Caesar's first expeditions in 55 and 54 BC to the fall of the Roman Empire c. 475 A.D.Rather easy to read, its a book that can be enjoyed by historians and casual readers.

Peter Salway begins his book with background information on pre-Celtic England and the Celtic culture and then proceeds to discuss Romes first contacts with the Island under Julius Caesar.As the book notes, Julius Caesar's British expeditions were failures in terms of conquests but successful as exploratory ones. The book then glosses over the period between Caesar and Claudius to discuss Britain's full invasion under Claudius.The book discusses the effects of the invasion on the Celtic cultures and how they eventually incorporated many Roman customs into their own lives.The book also covers trade and economics in the region.

This is altogether a great book that covers the subject quite well.It's easy to read by anyone whether they have an advanced understanding of the subject or not.

An Excellent History of Roman Britain
I should preface this by saying that I am not a person who usually reads histories for fun, but this book is quite impressive.Salway manages to present a massive amount of detail without overwhelming the reader.At nopoint is the narrative stuffy or dull, and it is frequently amusing andvery interesting.I would have prefered at least some photos or drawings(there are none), but the facts and commentary are colorful enough to keepyou interested.Based on other books I've read on this period, and acourse on the topic, Salway's information seems quite accurate.I highlyrecommend this book for anyone interested in Roman history and culture,Celtic history (what there is of it), and the relationships between Britainand the rest of the ancient world.Most historians seem wed to the drylisting of dates and battles, but Salway presents enough culturalinformation to keep things interesting enough for laymen (or evenanthropologists...).Its a bit long - several hundred pages, but I highlyrecommend this book. ... Read more

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This popular study covers two major topics: the formation of the Labour Party and its emergence as the main rival to the conservatives. This transformation of the British political scene has been accounted for in a variety of ways. Dr Adelman examines these explanations and concludes that while there is a consensus about the reasons for the creation of the Labour Party there is no agreement about why it rose to such prominence. ... Read more

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A darkly humorous architectural guide to the decrepit newBritain that neoliberalism built.Back in 1997, New Labour came to power amid much talk of regenerating the inner cities left to rot under successive Conservative governments. Over the next decade, British cities became the laboratories of the new enterprise economy: glowing monuments to finance, property speculation, and the service industry—until the crash.

In A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain, Owen Hatherley sets out to explore the wreckage—the buildings that epitomized an age of greed and selfish aspiration. From Greenwich to Glasgow, Milton Keynes to Manchester, Hatherley maps the derelict Britain of the 2010s: from riverside apartment complexes, art galleries, and amorphous interactive ‘centres’, to shopping malls and factory conversion lofts. In doing so, he provides a mordant commentary on the urban environment in which we live, work and consume.

By turns scathing, forensic, and bleakly humorous, A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain is a coruscating autopsy of a get-rich-quick, aspirational politics, a brilliant, architectural "state we’re in." ... Read more

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The definitive history of Roman Britain

In the first major narative history of the subject in more than a generation, David Mattingly brings life in Britain during four hundred years of Roman domination into vivid relief. Drawing on a wealth of new research and cutting through the myths and misunderstandings that commonly surround most perceptions of Roman Britain, An Imperial Possession describes a remote and culturally diverse province that required a heavy military presence both to keep its subjects in order and to exploit its resources for the empire. With his wonderful addition to the Penguin History of Britain series, “Mattingly shows . . . just how interesting life could be on the outer fringes of the Roman Empire” (The Sunday Telegraph). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Like a treasure chest buried in murky waters
This text is written by Dr. David Mattingly, Professor of Roman Archaeology at the University of Leicester, as as part of the 'Penguin History of Britain' series.The intent is to provide a concise history of Britain as a Roman territory and province within the context of imperial Rome.
(detailed here:[...])

Dr. Mattingly is undoubtedly qualified to write such a text. He also works at one of the centers of the latest research in this subject by virtue of his place of employment.His access to archaeological, manuscript, and other evidence is quite obvious in the quality of the research, bibliographical data, and analysis that he provides in this hefty tome. These are its most prominent virtues.

The intended audience, though, is not the average reader. Dr. Mattingly, while well versed in his subject, is not writing with a Carl Sagan sort of easily understood narrative flair. The writing style is more similar to academic journal articles; florid prose, infused with specialist jargon, and with the assumption of basic knowledge of common historiographical and archaeological methodology.In short, it is written for those with at least an undergraduate or gifted amateur education.

This is not necessarily a flaw in itself, but it certainly detracts from a series that is intended for those with at least a slightly-more-than-general interest in the history of Britain. This volume fails to achieve that purpose.

There are a few flaws, though surprisingly few given the scope and size of this volume. The author tends to have a 'nativist' bias in that he considers Britannia as having been unduly harmed in some ways by its association with Rome. The analysis is slanted toward British sensibilities. Any bias is a flaw, but this one is uncomfortably common in academic works on this subject, and there is no reason to perpetuate that perennial problem. He has some significant insights that are readily apparent if one is already familiar with the state of research in this subject, but they are often obscured by the aforementioned tendency toward usage of jargon. He has an excellent understanding of the available evidence and deserves to be better understood by his audience.

I rate this text 4.5 stars as a resource for specialists in the field, 4 stars for those with an active and frequent interest in early British history, and 3 stars for a general audience. ... Read more

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This volume provides a concise, illustrated history of Great Britain over nearly three centuries since the union with Scotland in 1707.The general theme is the interaction of state and society--specifically the interplay of parliament and the electorate.The author argues that conservative politics prevailed largely in a deeply conservative society, and that reactionary causes generally obtained more support than radical campaigns. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A broad overview of British history from the Act of Union with Scotland to entry into the EEC
Can one thoroughly examine two and a half centuries of British history in 150+ pages?(Illustrations make up much of the balance of this book and often just consist of simple photos of various political figures.) There is a reason, hence, why this work is entitled "A Concise History of Britain."It is not, however, a book for the average reader.It really is not, thus, a good jumping off point for further examination of this time period in British history.It is quite the reverse; a book for those more than relatively familiar with British politics since the 1700s.This book is heavily laden with references to, has comments on, and offers characterizations of dozens of prime ministers, chancellors of the exchequer, and a number of labor leaders.If one does not already know something about, for instance, Stanley Baldwin & Herbert Asquith, the history of the Liberal Party, or cannot name 10 past prime ministers of Britain then this 'Concise' book is not going to be very helpful to you. It makes judgments about such individuals, but does not spend hardly any time introducing these figures; assuming the reader is already familiar with the particulars of such historical personages.If you are such a person then this book might possibly be of interest to you as it tries to characterize the 1700s, 1800s, and most of the 1900s and makes a number of suppositions that one may or may not agree with, but which will encourage one to look at the big picture of this time period as opposed to overwhelming a reader in a sea of particulars that a much larger history of Britain might engender.Final suggestion:If you do choose to consider this book borrow it from your library as the retail price of this work (currently $40)is in no way commensurate with a book that can be read in several hours.Cheers

One quick, in-depth and conservative view of the Isles...

When time is at a premium and you are not too concerned about the political cant of the source, A Concise History of Britain; 1707-1975 is the student's antidote.

What appears in this volume is adroitely abridged to eliminate many circumstantial events to the reward of political nuggets.

Disconcerting are the author's reversals of opinion in face of events that signal either a disciple's blindness to fact or a fanatic's adherence to image.In either case, Speck maintains his professorial balance at the expense of his ideologic veracity.

Avery RENDON

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Once independence had been yielded to the American Colonies the interest of the British Government rapidly waned in affairs American. True there still remained the valued establishments in the West Indies and the less considered British possessions on the continent to the north of the United States. ... Read more

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Looking at the historical evolution of the central political institutions, and the social milieu surrounding them, this book helps to explain Britain's preeminence during the nineteenth century. The "political" history of the country--a substantial part of the book--provides the necessary foundation for a social history that focuses particularly on issues of demography, religion, social class, and gender. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

badly written and factually inaccurate
In 16 years of teaching and writing British History, this is by far the worst textbook I've ever seen. It is full of serious errors, totally ignores a great deal of significant scholarship and is both tedious andconfusing in its narrative. Students and other readers would bewell-advised to try surveys from Penguin or Norton instead. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent introduction to the subject
This rather excellent young adult book focuses on Roman Britain. Everything is covered from the Celtic Britons and their tribal life, through the Roman conquest and life in Roman Britain, through to the Roman withdrawal from Britain. For the most part, though, the book focuses on daily life.

Overall, I found this to be a very good book. It is richly illustrated with many colorful pictures, illustrations, maps, and so forth. The text is short and to the point, going into a lot of interesting details. Now, as you might expect with a "young adult" book, it is only an introduction to the subject, but it is an excellent introduction to the subject.

I found it to be a very interesting read, as did my sixteen-year-old son. And if it can please both of us, you know it has something going for it! ... Read more

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This celebrated and seminal text examines the industrial revolution, from its genesis in pre-industrial Britain, through its development and into maturity.A chapter-by-chapter analysis explores topics such as economic growth, agriculture, trade finance, labour and transport. First published in 1969, The First Industrial Nation is widely recognised as a classic text for students of the industrial revolution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The First Industrial Nation - A penetrating discussion of the basis for our present civilization
This book traces the rise of Britain from an agrarian society to a modern industrial nation, carrying with it the rest of the world. Although it reads much like a textbook, I cannot overemphasize the importance of its subject matter.I first read a borrowed copy of the first edition, and couldn't put it down. I then searched widely (including all over London) for another copy, finally finding the second edition on Amazon.com.Nowhere else have I seen such a comprehensive history of the origins of our industrial civilization, containing much that we should know as we proceed into the twenty-first century. ... Read more

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The years 1830-1914 witnessed a revolution in the manufacture and use of books as great as that in the fifteenth century. Using new technology in printing, paper-making and binding, publishers worked with authors and illustrators to meet ever-growing and more varied demands from a population seeking books at all price levels. The essays by leading book historians in this volume show how books became cheap, how publishers used the magazine and newspaper markets to extend their influence, and how book ownership became universal for the first time. The fullest account ever published of the nineteenth-century revolution in printing, publishing and bookselling, this volume brings the Cambridge History of the Book in Britain up to a point when the world of books took on a recognisably modern form. ... Read more

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No period in British history today retains more resonance and mystery than the sixteenth century. The leading figures of the time have become almost mythical, and the terrors and grandeurs of Tudor Britain have resonance with even the least historically minded readers. Above all Brigden sees the key to the Tudor world as religion - the new world of Protestantism and its battle with the the old world of uniform Catholicism. This great religious rent in the fabric of English society underlies the savage violence and turbulence of the period - from Henry VIII's break with Rome to the overwhelming threat of the Spanish Armada. 'New Worlds, Lost Worlds': is a startlingly atmospheric tour de force. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

A Splendid New Edition
In deciding to produce a lavishly illustrated but abridged edition of Bungay's definitive work on the Battle of Britain, Aurum Press set itself a considerable challenge.How was it to preserve the depth of scholarship and the passion of the original, while making it more accessible to new readers?How not to alienate the enthusiastic followers that this work and "Alamein" had inspired with a new understanding of their subjects?
In the event, the challenge has been met effectively.The new edition is not only a pleasure to own (and another reason to delay buying that Kindle); it is immensely informative in a way more history books for laymen should be.The 12 pages of photographs of the original have been augmented by (literally) hundreds more, giving insights into the men and their machines that neatly complement the text.Maps are invaluable and well selected and placed.Most fascinating of all are the diagrams of tactics.
This has been achieved at the expense of some text, but most of what has been lost (the Preface and the start of The Eagles chapter, for instance) involves reflections that are not central to the development of the narrative.What remains tells the full story as Bungay told it and it remains a remarkable story, keenly told with a wealth of fascinating detail. Lost, sadly, are several passages that show the contribution Bungay has made to historiography by applying the perspective he brings from his career as a top-flight management consultant and educator.For this, aficionados will not throw away the original when they acquire this complement to their drawing room, and will look forward to seeing Bungay develop this bridge between history and management disciplines in further works.

A key acquisition for any military history collection
The Most Dangerous Enemy: An Illustrated History of the Battle of Britain provides an in-depth, illustrated survey of the Battle of Britain and comes from an author who set out to uncover the truths behind the myths of this epic battle. His is the most detailed account in print of the Battle of Britain, and offers first-hand experiences, historical debates, and more. Highly recommended as a key acquisition for any military history collection.

Excellent Illustrated Battle of Britain History!
When Stephen Bungay's THE MOST DANGEROUS ENEMY was published by Aurum Press in 2000, it was widely hailed as one of the very best BoB histories; some proclaimed it definitive. The 2000 edition topped 400 pages. This 2010 illustrated edition, published by Zenith Press, runs to 272 pages. Having never read the original, I'm a little unsure whether this is an abridgement of the Aurum work. However, it seems Bungay basically left out a Prologue and all the voluminous notes found in the 2000 work. Whatever the changes, the Zenith Press volume is certainly an exceptional account of that momentous air battle.

Bungay spends the first 97 pages of the book detailing the 'Build-Up' to outbreak of combat over England. He summarizes why the BoB took place, compares/contrasts the Luftwaffe attackers with the British defenders, Operation Sealion and so on. Actual combat is covered in the 130-page middle section - 'Battle' - which chronicles the air battles over the Channel convoys, Eagle Day, 18 August 1940, the attacks on RAF airfields, the switch to London raids, etc. The final 20-page 'Aftermath' section relates what happened to the principals, Bungay's appraisal of the battle and its outcome and what it all meant.

Bungay is a skillful writer, effortlessly explaining some very involved history in an easy-to-understand fashion. He skillfully blends many different threads together into a seamless whole. Unlike other BoB histories, Bungay refrained from using first-person reminiscences in the text. Consequently, the book is rather dispassionate in tone...but it's still a great read.

The hundreds of b&w and color photographs, maps, diagrams and illustrations compliment Bungay's text. The presentation is very well done indeed.

While even more BoB histories are in the pipeline, THE MOST DANGEROUS ENEMY, AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN is on my short list of candidates for 'Best Battle of Britain' book. Highly recommended.

Fantastic book on the Battle of Britain
"The Most Dangerous Enemy: An Illustrated History of the Battle of Britain" is a comprehensive look at the defining battle of 1940 that kept Britain in World War II.Bungay examines the build-up, the events defined as "the battle" and the aftermath.Each of his expertly researched chapters is complemented with period black & white or rare color photographs.The result is a fantastic book for your coffee table.

Bungay asserts that the Battle of Britain would not have happened at all if it wouldn't had been for the turn of events that thrust Winston Churchill to the forefront of English politics.The author examines foresight of Churchill and his generals who had the foresight to stimulate the English economy in preparation for the coming war with Germany.The author also provides the German perspective on the battle.Bungay explains why the Germans never had the intent to follow through with Operation Sealion, the amphibious assault of the British Isles.

As with any effective battle study, the author looks at the men, the machines, the command & control methods, and the tactics used during the battle.Bungay illustrates these key points by using the personal stories of the men and generals who fought the battle.I found this to be a very effective and interesting way of looking at the battle.

The Battle of Britain wasn't marked by a distinctive end.From 1941 to 1942, British Fighter Command slowly shifted from defensive to offensive fighter operations in support of the combined allied bomber campaigns.Bungay looks at the long term effects on both the Luftwaffe and Fighter Command.

Bungay should be commended for his outstanding work.I highly recommend it to any World War II enthusiast.

Spectacular
"The Most Dangerous Enemy: An Illustrated History of the Battle of Britain" is spectacular. It merits a five-star rating. It is in a large-format of 11.9 x 9.8 x 1.1 inches. The quality of the book is immaculate. If you are a history buff with an interest in the Battle of Britain this is the book for you. The book is divided into three sections: Part 1: Build-up, Part 2: Battle, and Part 3: Aftermath. It takes you on a journey of understanding. You learn of the organization of the air forces. You learn about the various types of aircraft. You learn of the radar and air defenses as well as air craft production. The detail of the information is astounding.

The book has over 150 photographs. This includes a large number of rare color photos. The book is a treasure full of color maps and diagrams. There are a number of excellent "sidebar" features as well. Using numerous first-hand experience stories Mr. Bungay brings this critical story from history alive in an exciting way. The quality and quantity of the photographs alone is reason enough to purchase the book. He has many never before published pictures of planes, aircraft pilots, and pivotal military leaders. The diagrams of aerial fights add clarity to the story they illustrate.

Well done Stephen Bungay. The book will be an excellent addition to any history buff's library. Any World War II European Theater veteran will enjoy seeing and owning the book. It would make a great addition to school and community libraries.

Reviewers note: I did not compare Stephen Bungay's "The Most Dangerous Enemy: An Illustrated History of the Battle of Britain" with the original release by Stephen Bungay of "The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain". That is not the purpose of this review. The non-illustrated "original" book is the definitive reference work that stands. It is the classic on the subject. "The Most Dangerous Enemy: An Illustrated History of the Battle of Britain" is spectacular and deserves to join its predecessor as the illustrated definitive work on the Battle of Britain. Again, well done Mr. Stephen Bungay! ... Read more