Britain's Shield: Radar and the Defeat of the Luftwaffe

The traditional view of the Battle of Britain is of brave RAF Hurricane and Spitfire pilots thwarting the Luftwaffe's efforts to seize control of the skies over Britain as a prelude to invasion. Yet, the individual bravery and skill of these pilots and the fighting qualities of their aircraft would have been in vain if they had not been part of a highly complex and sophisticated air defence system based on radar. The development of the system in just five years is one of the most remarkable scientific and technological accomplishments of the 20th century.