Published by Coronet Books
ISBN 0340750413

Hardback, 418 pages, RRP £20.00

This book is available from the Society Shop at
the special price of £10.00

A review by Iain Dawson

I bought this book whilst waiting to board my flight at Gatwick airport. I wanted something to read if it rained while I was away on holiday, but found myself spending more time with it than I did with my family. The reason being that it’s such an easy read.

From life on the Home Front, to the skies over England, to the soldiers, sailors and Airman, they are all brought together in “The Finest Hour”. All their stories, some funny, some sad. It’s the war from all angles and that’s what I liked about it.

I liked the way the authors have used the diary’s, letters and memoirs together and you really feel you get to know the people involved and even get closer to them as you read on. Ordinary folk like us but living through an extraordinary time and most coming through it and at last getting a chance to tell their stories and share their feelings with the reader. What I felt most of all as I read was that you got the whole picture, nasty bits and all, it’s not a book where the author(s) had ‘trimmed off all the fat” and just put in the bits they liked. It’s a book you can pick up anytime as each chapter doesn’t drag on but does leave you “chomping at the bit” for the next one. Saying that, I found it rather “unputdownable”. Along with some great pictures this really is a “must read” book for anyone who has an interest in the war years, 1940’s or peoples people and richly deserves the title “Finest Hour”.

A thoroughly good read from front to back.