2017 marks the 80th anniversary of the remarkable Hawker Hurricane formally entering service. The RAF's first monoplane fighter, it dragged the Air Force into a position where it could defend Britain in her 'hour of need'. The true workhorse of the RAF, the Hurricane came into its own in the hot summer months of 1940 valiantly defending the skies above Britain. Outnumbering Spitfires three to one, the Hurricane also downed far more enemy aircraft. Without the obvious elegance of the Me 109 or the Spitfire, the Hurricane was nonetheless beloved by its pilots for its ability to simultaneously take a battering and inflict serious damage from its remarkably stable gun platform. This stunning new book reveals the Hurricane in all its glory - from fascinating first-hand accounts from the men who flew her to the truly breathtaking images from John Dibbs of the Hurricanes still in flight today. This lavish, fully illustrated edition is a must-have for all fans of aviation history.

Foreword by Wing Commander Tom Neil, DFC*, AFC, AE Preface In the Beginning Chapter One Battle of France Survivor Chapter Two 'Blue Peter' Chapter Three 'Fighting 56' Chapter Four 'In All Things First' Chapter Five 'County of London' Squadron Chapter Six Bader's 'Dogsbody' Chapter Seven R 4118 Chapter Eight 'Warsaw-Kosciuszko' Hurricane Chapter Nine 'Eagle Squadron' Chapter Ten Malta Defender Chapter Eleven Hurricane with a Hook Chapter Twelve 'Hurribomber' Chapter Thirteen M k XII Chapter Fourteen Finnish Storm Chapter Fifteen Hurricane Spectacular Chapter Sixteen Hurricane Survivors Appendix: Hawker Restorations Ltd BibliographyIndex