It's so long ago that I read this book that I can't review it in a normal way. Suffice to say, though, that if I'd not been given this present as a child I doubt my son would be an Aerospace Engineer. ( )

Group Captain Douglas Bader became a legend in his own lifetime. Legendary, too, are the Spitfire and the Hurricane, Britain's two most famous fighter aircraft. Bader lost both his legs in a flying accident in 1931, was invalided from the RAF in 1933, and rejoined in 1939. He rapidly became one of Britain's foremost aces and was brought down in France in 1941 and made prisoner of war. His story begins with the birth of these two great aircraft. The Spitfire and the Hurricane flew all over the world in every conceivable flying condition but their greatest contribution was during the Battle of Britain in August 1940 when they outflew the Luftwaffe and changed the course of history. This account is interlaced with Bader's own memoirs and those of his fellow pilots. He assesses the aircraft themselves, describes his methods of fighting and recounts some memorable experiences.
He tells the inspiring story of the Battle of Britain from the viewpoint of 'The Few'. Using superb illustrations he traces the development of the Spitfire and Hurricane, and describes the nail-biting actions of those who flew them against far superior numbers of enemy aircraft. As an added bonus, other well-known fighter aces including Johnnie Johnson, "Laddie' Lucas and Max Aitken contribute to Douglas's book, no doubt out of affection and respect.