Battles Over Britain

An archaeologist and historian by training (who has recently qualified as a pilot), Guy de la Bédoyère realized the information that archaeology could bring to the study and recreation of all aspects of the air war--from the scarred masonry of St. Clement Danes, damaged in the London blitz, to the torn metal of an engine in a Kent Battle of Britain museum. Excavations of individual planes--a Spitfire, Hurricane, and Messerschmitt--are described in detail. The author also looks at other physical remains of the Battle of Britain and of the Blitz--the airfields, signs of war damage in city centers, and the evidence of civil defense.