Eagle Days

Life and Death for the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain

Victoria Taylor

$59.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Apollo
22 May 2025

History; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Second World War; Air forces & warfare; Political geography

By the summer of 1940, Great Britain watched as France succumbed to the might of Adolf Hitler’s forces. Her forces driven off the continent, many rescued from capture at Dunkirk, only the Royal Air Force, supported by the country’s newly established radar system, now stood in the way of the country being invaded. Herman Goering had promised his Fuhrer his air force would sweep the British skies of all opposition to allow Operation Sea Lion, the invasion of southern England, to commence. The intense aerial combat over the coming months across the English Channel and the countryside of southeast England would not reflect the optimism of Nazi propaganda.

Researching and blending a diverse range of primary sources together (Luftwaffe air crews’ personal letters and diaries), with official combat reports, and contemporary German newspapers, Victoria Taylor weaves a rich, multifaceted tapestry of the military, political, social and cultural influences that shaped the German air force’s mentality and morale during the Battle of Britain.

Eagle Days transforms the Luftwaffe’s historical role during the RAF’s ‘Finest Hour’ from a cartoonish antagonist to a multidimensional, flawed-yet-formidable opponent. The narrative contains not just the voices of the air crews who conducted the fighting, but uniquely never-before-translated primary source material of other contemporary eyewitnesses, (Luftwaffe’s paratroopers, anti-aircraft gunners and air signalmen). Eagle Days will offer all fans of this period a refreshing, comprehensive and exciting new account of the Luftwaffe’s real experiences during the Battle of Britain.

By: Victoria Taylor
Imprint: Apollo
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 238mm, Width: 164mm, Spine: 32mm
Weight: 680g
ISBN: 9781804549995
ISBN 10: 1804549991
Pages: 432
Publication Date: 22 May 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Dr Victoria Taylor is an award-winning aviation historian. She has published in various mainstream publications including BBC History Extra, Britain at War, and Iron Cross magazines. Victoria has also served as both an on-screen expert and off-screen consultant for a number of historical documentaries for television and radio, including BBC Two, Channel 5, History Hit, Sky History, National Geographic, and BBC Radio 4.

Reviews for Eagle Days: Life and Death for the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain

Diving in deeper than dogfights, this fantastic study gives us the 1940 Luftwaffe with its varnish stripped away. * Peter Caddick-Adams * By refocusing on the 'Luftschlacht um England’, the 'Battle of Britain’ through a German lens, Victoria Taylor transforms familiar history into a fascinating account of both courage and culpability. Deeply researched, this page-turning history enriches without glorifying. Important and overdue. * Clare Mulley *