The Battle of Britain on Screen : ‘The Few’ in British Film and Television Drama

This new, updated edition of The Battle of Britain on Screen examines in depth the origins, development and reception of the major dramatic screen representations of 'The Few' in the Battle of Britain produced over the past 75 years. Paul MacKenzie explores both continuity and change in the presentation of a wartime event that acquired and retains near-mythical dimensions in popular consciousness and has been represented many times in feature films and television dramas. Alongside relevant technical developments, the book also examines the social, cultural, and political changes occurring in the second half of the 20th century and first decade of current century that helped shape how the battle came to be framed dramatically.

This edition contains a new chapter looking at the portrayal of the Battle of Britain at the time of its 70th anniversary. Through its perceptive demonstration of how our memory of the battle has been constantly reshaped through film and television, The Battle of Britain on Screen provides students of the Second World War, 20th-century Britain and film history with a thorough and complex understanding of an iconic historical event.

“Rigorous, well written and frequently thought-provoking.” —Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, of the first edition

“This perceptive and detailed study clearly reveals exactly how our memory of the Battle of Britain has been shaped and re-shaped by film and television.” —Journal of British Cinema and Television, of the first edition

“This is a most illuminating book that makes a valuable addition not only to the extensive historical literature on the Battle of Britain but also to the field of film and media history.” —H-Albion/H-Net, of the first edition

“The contextualisation here is finer, the analysis more subtle… a thoughtful guide to an important subgenre of British war films and television programmes… MacKenzie has provided a sure foundation for analysis of portrayals of the Battle yet to come.” —Melbourne Historical Journal, of the first edition

“An informed, enjoyable look at a rarely-covered subject.” —World War II Quarterly, of the first edition

“Professor Mackenzie's updated account of the Battle of Britain on Screen remains an accessible, focused and highly absorbing treatment of the cultural representation of a pivotal historical moment, whose dominant narrative about Churchill's Few continues to resonate in popular memory 75 years after the Battle was decided. It is superbly well-researched, combining a wide range of sources and archival material which engagingly conveys the élan of the Battle through its many filmic treatments from 1940 to the present. Representing an important addition to its developing cultural history historiography, it will appeal to all those interested in the Battle of Britain.” —Garry Campion, University of Northampton, UK