The Few: The American "Knights of the Air" Who Risked Everything to Fight in the Battle of Britain

by Alex Kershaw Narrated by Scott Brick

Overview

From the author of national bestsellers The Bedford Boys and The Longest Winter comes "a rousing tale of little-known heroes" (Booklist).

The Few tells the dramatic and unforgettable story of eight young Americans who joined Britain's Royal Air Force, defying their country's neutrality laws and risking their U.S. citizenship to fight side-by-side with England's finest pilots in the summer of 1940-over a year before America entered the war. Flying the lethal and elegant Spitfire, they became "knights of the air" and with minimal training but plenty of guts, they dueled the skilled and fearsome pilots of Germany's Luftwaffe. By October 1940, they had helped England win the greatest air battle in the history of aviation. Winston Churchill once said of all those who fought in the Battle of Britain, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." These daring Americans were the few among the "few." Now, with the narrative drive and human drama that made The Bedford Boys and The Longest Winter national bestsellers, Alex Kershaw tells their story for the first time.

Editorial Reviews

We can now think of them as premature war heroes, but at the time, the American pilots who flew for the Royal Air Force before Pearl Harbor were ignored, dismissed as thrill-seeking Yankees, or castigated as a national nuisance. American ambassador Joseph Kennedy, viewing these mavericks as a threat to U.S. neutrality, tried to get them deported. But these "Knights of the Air" persisted, shooting down several fearsome German aces, and became national heroes in Great Britain. A rousing story for war buffs, well told by Alex Kershaw.

American Profile

"A stirring tale of adventure and derring-do that will make your spirits soar." -- 1/22/07

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Brings the thrills and terrors of pre-computerized air combat strikingly to life.

Daily Herald

Thoroughly researched, deeply touching, and compellingly well-written.

St. Petersburg Times

One of the most affecting short histories I have read in many a month.

Roanoke Times

Kershaw's attention to detail allows us to experience the dogfights and bombings...and appreciate the indomitable English spirit.

Kirkus Reviews

Rousing story of idealistic Americans who fought against the Nazis with Britain's Royal Air Force long before the U.S. entered World War II. British-born historian Kershaw (The Bedford Boys, 2003, etc.) tells the story of young Americans who, after making their way to Canada and then by ship to Europe, where, in the summer of 1940, among 571 foreigners flying RAF Spitfires against the German Luftwaffe in brutal dogfights over the English Channel. Recruited by Colonel Charles Sweeny, a colorful mercenary and Hemingway pal twice expelled from West Point, these few Americans who fought in the Battle of Britain consisted of Olympic gold-medalist Billy Fiske, 27; Brooklyn skydiver Shorty Keough, 26; former MGM-employed pilot Eugene Tobin, 23; and five others, all civilian pilots intent on flying the powerful Spitfires (their Rolls-Royce engines could exceed 400 miles an hour) and determined to avoid the anticipated American draft. Risking loss of their citizenship in the still-neutral U.S., the fighter pilots were deemed "grand fellows" by grateful Brits, and in a decisive air battle on Sept. 15, 1940, they helped halt Hitler's plans to invade Britain. The author draws on diaries, letters and interviews to recreate harrowing midair sorties against the background of Germany's blitzkrieg advance across Europe and Churchill's relentless efforts to coax the U.S. into the war. After the Battle of Britain, more than 200 Americans continued to serve in the RAF's three "American Eagle" squadrons, which later became part of the U.S. Army Air Force. They were never prosecuted by the State Department; a dozen are still living. A delight for military buffs. First printing of 150,000

From the Publisher

"A heroic, inspiring story that deserves to be told."

"A moving story of uncommon valor." -- James Bradley

"A powerful reminder of the human cost of war."

"Few books describe the costs of war so soberly and so vividly."

"The poignant story of twenty-one young men... who died in the D-Day invasion."

"The true story that inspired Saving Private Ryan."

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192678251
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	08/27/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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