Cinderella Boys: The Forgotten RAF Force that Won the Battle of the Atlantic (Paperback) - Leo McKinstry

The remarkable story of the unsung RAF wing who rescued Britain from Hitler's U-boats and made Allied victory possible.

'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

About the Author

Leo McKinstry has been a successful, high-profile writer for almost three decades, winning praise for his fluent style, his range of subjects and his diligent research. He is the author of twelve non-fiction books, including a trilogy on the RAF during the Second World War, several football and cricket biographies, two of which won the WHSmith Sports Book of the Year awards, and a study of the 19th century Liberal Prime Minister Lord Rosebery, which was named as the Channel Four Political Book of the Year in 2006. He is also a national newspaper journalist. Since 2005 he has been a twice-weekly columnist on the Daily Express, while he has been a feature writer on the Daily Mail for 27 years. His articles have also appeared in the Daily Telegraph, Independent, The Spectator, The Oldie, New Statesman and The Cricketer.