Group Captain Douglas Bader became a legend in his own lifetime. Legendary, too, are the Spitfire and the Hurricane, Britain's two most famous fighter aircraft. Bader lost both his legs in a flying accident in 1931, was invalided from the RAF in 1933, and rejoined in 1939. He rapidly became one of Britain's foremost aces and was brought down in France in 1941 and made prisoner of war. His story begins with the birth of these two great aircraft. The Spitfire and the Hurricane flew all over the world in every conceivable flying condition but their greatest contribution was during the Battle of Britain in August 1940 when they outflew the Luftwaffe and changed the course of history. This account is interlaced with Bader's own memoirs nd those of his fellow pilots. He assesses the aircraft themselves, describes his methods of fighting and recounts some memorable experiences.