DEFIANT: The Untold Story of the Battle of Britain goes a long way towards redressing the long established reputation of the Boulton Paul Defiant 2-seater fighter plane as an aircraft that, when tested in battle against the Luftwaffe, failed to live up to its promise as a "bomber destroyer."

The inspiration for the Defiant came from the Bristol Brisfit 2-seater fighter/reconnaissance plane, which built a reputation during its deployment in World War I as an exceptional aircraft. Indeed, the Brisfit could tangle with the best of the German fighters over the Western Front and came to be highly regarded by the British as "a fighter with a stinger in its tail."

The book explores the interwar development of the Defiant, its supporters and detractors within the leadership of RAF Fighter Command, the ongoing manufacturing problems at Boulton Paul Aircraft that delayed the production of Defiants, the Defiant's combat history with 264 and 141 Squadrons, and the factors that led to the Defiant's withdrawal from daytime combat in August 1940 when the Battle of Britain was at its height. (The Defiant would go on to be used as a night fighter until well into 1941.)

Through reading this book, I gained a greater appreciation for the strengths the Defiant did have and the crews who flew them in combat. I was deeply impressed by 264 Squadron's commander, Squadron Leader Philip A. Hunter. He embodied the best qualities of leadership, was inspirational to the men under his command, always led from the front, and was an innovative and brilliant tactician. Indeed, under Hunter's leadership, 264 Squadron set the record for the highest number of enemy aircraft destroyed in aerial combat when it was credited with shooting down 38 German planes in one day of combat over Dunkirk on May 29, 1940.

DEFIANT is an absolutely first-rate aviation book containing 2 sets of photos featuring the Defiant, its crews, and some of the civilian and military leadership responsible for its development and deployment by RAF Fighter Command.