Description

‘Masterful’ David Price

‘McKinstry has done a fine job in rescuing Coastal Command from long neglect’ Richard Overy

The remarkable story of the unsung RAF wing who made Allied victory possible.

In 1943 Britain was engaged in an epic struggle for survival as deadly wolf packs of German U-boats roamed the Atlantic. In desperation, Churchill turned to an overlooked, underfunded force known as “The Cinderella Service”. Armed with long-range planes, depth charges, rocket projectiles and radar equipment, the Cinderella boys provided vital air defence. The German hunters became the hunted, and – in a stunning defeat – fully retreated by the summer.

The transformation of Coastal Command from a ramshackle outfit into a formidable organisation served as one of the turning points of the war. But they never received the credit they deserved. Based on a wealth of new sources, Leo McKinstry shines a light on the courageous pilots, ingenious scientists and political risktakers who defended the freezing Atlantic from Nazi rule.

‘Engrossing’ Brendan Simms

Publisher Review

If any branch of Britain’s armed force in the Second World War needs saving from an undeserved obscurity, it is RAF Coastal Command. McKinstry has done a fine job in rescuing it from long neglect — Richard Overy, author of BLOOD AND RUINS A story as satisfying as it is utterly compelling — Duncan Campbell-Smith, author of JET MAN An engrossing account of the huge, and often under-appreciated, contribution made by RAF Coastal Command to the defeat of Hitler’s Reich — Brendan Simms, co-author of HITLER’S AMERICAN GAMBLE Compelling. McKinstry’s masterful grasp of his subject shines in this story of RAF Coastal Command. Detailed, readable and important — David Price, author of THE CREW and MOSQUITO MEN The men of Coastal Command have long deserved a worthy monument to their amazing deeds. Leo McKinstry has provided it magnificently — Patrick Bishop, author of FIGHTER BOYS Illuminating — Nick Rennison * Mail on Sunday *