Sixty years ago one of the most potent of all the mythic events in British history occurred: the Battle of Britain. This battle continues in many ways to define Britain's view of itself and one of the epochal pivots in world history. THE BATTLE isan attempt to recreate the extraordinary circumstances of that summer and reengage with the great questions the conflict raised - how close did Britain really come to invasion? What were Hitler's and Churchill's intentions? What was the real effect of the battle on the Second World War's outcome? Overy's books are famous both for their narrative drive and their ability to analyse lucidly technological, military and economic issues. THE BATTLE is a small classic of its kind.