The Good Fight

How critical was propaganda to national survival during the Battle of Britain? The struggle for air supremacy lasted for just sixteen weeks during the summer and autumn of 1940, yet its outcome was vital in thwarting Hitler's invasion plans. The RAF's 'fighter boys', Churchill's 'Few', were central to that achievement, sustaining the morale of millions through their heroism. A propaganda victory within a military success, the Air Ministry daily projected their prowess through its Air Communiqués to national and international audiences, using the press, newsreels, and radio broadcasts. Hotly debated in Britain, Germany and America, opinion hinged critically upon these 'cricket scores', which in turn led to the rapid heroicization of the Few into legend. Propaganda organizations, the media, and censorship were key to this accomplishment and are also explored in The Good Fight. Wartime feature films, art and literature further consolidated the mythicization of the Few, influencing the Battle of Britain's post-war historiography. Only more recently challenged by revisionists, these aspects too are assessed in this comprehensive, illustrated account of a key moment in Britain's history.
This book studies the heroicization of 'The Few' during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. A propaganda victory within a military success, it was vital to sustaining national morale