Britain's Shield: Radar and the Defeat of the Luftwaffe

The traditional view of the Battle of Britain is of brave RAF Hurricane and Spitfire pilots thwarting the Luftwaffe's efforts to seize control of the skies over Britain as a prelude to invasion. Yet, the individual bravery and skill of these pilots and the fighting qualities of their aircraft would have been in vain if they had not been part of a highly complex and sophisticated air defence system based on radar. The development of the system in just five years is one of the most remarkable scientific and technological accomplishments of the 20th century. While the battle has been subject to numerous studies, the creation of the radar defences has been somewhat overlooked. Many of the studies of radar have focused on the development of the technology, with little attention given to the creation of the much larger system for integrating radar into the nation's air defences. This work seeks to relate the develoment of radar with the diplomatic and air policy concerns of the period. The study shows how a small group of scientists, engineers, airmen and politicians accomplished this technological miracle. The author also offers a revisionist appraisal of Chruchill's role, showing that his influence was more often than not counter-productive to the development of effective air defences.