The Few

October 1, 2006
In the summer of 1940, World War II was in its second year and Adolf Hitler was planning to invade England. The U.S. had not yet entered the war, but a few Americans joined Britain's Royal Air Force. Flying Spitfire planes, they became known as the "knights of the air." In doing so, they would break several neutrality laws and became what Kershaw terms "outlaws in their own country." Kershaw, author of " The Bedford Boys" (2003) and " The Longest Winter "(2004), tells the story of these pilots; 244 U.S. citizens eventually flew with the RAF Eagle Squadrons. Only 1 survived the war. But according to the RAF's official roster in 1940, just 7 Americans belonged to "the few." These were the Americans who fought during the greatest air battle in history, labeled the Battle of Britain. Like his other books, Kershaw has written a rousing tale of little-known heroes. With 32 pages of black-and-white photographs, " The Few "marks Kershaw as a master storyteller.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

Starred review from October 15, 2006
Of the 2,917 pilots who served in Britain's Royal Air Force, fighting the German airborne assault during the Battle of Britain, seven were Americans who violated the neutrality laws of their own country by volunteering for the RAF. Eventually, over 200 U.S. citizens flew with the RAF's Eagle Squadrons, following the creation of all-American units, but only those who fought during the Battle of Britain were recognized by their grateful hosts as the Few. Kershaw's ("The Bedford Boys") fine study of this titanic aerial struggle and the Americans who participated is certainly not the first (see, e.g., Philip D. Caine's "American Pilots in the RAF"). But it is an admirable addition to the historiography, following the hair-raising odysseys of these expatriates from hometown America to the besieged RAF squadrons, where they endured ten-to-one odds in the sky and deplorable living conditions on the ground while serving Churchill as a propaganda tool to counter U.S. isolationism. Aviation specialists will find Kershaw a master of such details as the flying characteristics of the British Spitfire and the German Me-109 and the contents of Göring's obscenely lavish hunting lodge, Carinhall. His history hits the mark in Call respects; his annotated endnotes provide a virtual second volume. Recommended for all libraries, especially those with strong aviation and World War II collections."John Carver Edwards, Univ. of Georgia, Cleveland"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 21, 2006
With his customary narrative drive, Kershaw (The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice
) spotlights the handful of American pilots who joined the Royal Air Force and its fighter squadrons during the Battle of Britain. They have been overshadowed by or confused with the better-known Eagle Squadrons, which formed in the autumn of 1940 with the tacit consent of the U.S. government. Kershaw's "few" were a vanguard, enlisting individually to operate the British Spitfire planes as early as May 1940, when England stood alone and her odds of survival seemed long. Crusaders and adventurers, the pilots ignored U.S. neutrality acts to fight from a mixture of principled opposition to Nazism, vaguely defined Anglophilia and sheer love of air combat at a time when it still seemed glamorous. Scattered by ones and twos among different squadrons, each had his own story, which Kershaw admirably contextualizes within the climate of the Battle of Britain. Using personal vignettes to convey the extraordinary routines of life in the cockpits, in the squadrons and in England, Kershaw evokes the heroism of these pilots, only one of whom survived the war whose tide they helped turn.

October 23, 2006
Brick does a nice job squeezing the drama from Kershaw's story of the American fliers who joined the British RAF during the early years of World War II, before the United States had entered the war. Modulating his voice for maximum efficiency, Brick treats each segment of the book as a fresh anecdote to be laid out for the enjoyment of his listeners. Dogfights, ocean journeys, military camaraderie and the ever-present threat of death are all grist for Brick's powerful storyteller's voice. If at times Brick cannot entirely decide whether he is or is not going to provide British and French accents for his European characters, hedging his bets with partial versions, his reading is nonetheless sharp and compelling.