Overshadowed by the fame and publicity afforded to such classic aircraft as the Mosquito and Lancaster, the Bristol Blenheim was nevertheless a virtual backbone to RAF operations during 1939-42, and thereafter continued to give doughty service in almost every theatre of war, and in many fighting roles. Pioneering both day-bombing and nightfighting, Blenheim crews fought against daunting odds and superior enemy aircraft in most of their sorties, establishing a saga of courage and devotion to duty seldom surpassed.
Blenheims undertook firstline operations from the first to the last days of the 1939-45 conflict, and in this account of the aircraft's history Chaz Bowyer has detailed not only its origins, development and fighting record, but also emphasises the human facets, including full accounts of the three Blenheim pilots awarded a Victoria Cross. Illustrated by a fine selection of 180 photographs, the text pays a long overdue tribute to an aircraft which achieved a permanent niche in RAF annals.