At the outbreak of World War II the Luftwaffe was considered by many to be the world's most powerful air force. Driven by the new strategy of Blitzkrieg, or lightening war, in a very short time it stormed across Europe. Opposing air forces were swept aside as the Luftwaffe blasted a path for the Panzers and protected their flanks as they raced for the sea. Flushed with victory, its formidable reputation apparently justified, the Luftwaffe regrouped in occupied Western Europe for a final showdown with its one remaining enemy - Britain. Supremely confident, the odds seemed to be on their side. But during the summer of 1940 they suffered a dramatic defeat during the Battle of Britain, and by May 1945 the Germans had surrendered to the Allies and the Third Reich collapsed. What went wrong? How could things have been different? What if Goering, the brilliant yet flawed Luftwaffe commander, had died prematurely in September 1940. Had he died, what radical alterations in the pattern of command would have transpired? What if Luftwaffe strategic bomber force had become a reality? In this most engagingly written and thought provoking addition to the fascinating Greenhill alternate history series, aviation historian Mike Spick asks these very questions, envisaging a dramatic alternate reality in which the Luftwaffe succeeded in defeating Allied forces.