Excerpted in SMITHSONIAN'S
AIR & SPACE MAGAZINE  [Read excerpt here]

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THE WORLD NEEDS HEROES...

The fighter pilot, "his sworn duty to protect...hurls himself at the enemy with the momentum of the thousand horses harnessed in his engine."

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303 "Kościuszko" Squadron 

The summer of 1940 and the Battle of Britain—the darkest days of World War II. France, Poland, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Norway had all been crushed by the powerful Nazi German war machine. Great Britain stood alone, fighting for its life.

Thrilling action story of the celebrated squadron of Polish fighter pilots whose superb daring and aerial combat skills helped save England during its most desperate hours. The 303 "Kościuszko" Squadron flew with the RAF, downing three times the average RAF score, while incurring only one-third the average casualties during the Battle of Britain. Underdog heroes who rose to defend against the deadliest German Luftwaffe attacks, the pilots of 303 Squadron were lionized by the British press, congratulated by the King and adored by the British public.

With an immediacy that vividly brings to life those harrowing days, Arkady Fiedler paints the bravery, the poignancy, the breathtaking gambles with death risked daily by this exceptional group of young men far from home, who fought to preserve freedom for all.

 WINNER of the GOLD Award for HISTORY, and the SILVER Award for INTERIOR DESIGN, at the 2011 Benjamin Franklin Awards

  A Selection of the HISTORY BOOK CLUB^® and the MILITARY BOOK CLUB^®

"About as exciting as it gets...a must-read."
—The Washington Times

"Deserves five stars for every single one of its pages. Vivid and thrilling almost beyond measure."
—Waterstone's Bookseller Review

"Wonderful account of the Poles' heroic deeds..."
—Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud, authors of A Question of Honor

303 Squadron: The Legendary Battle of Britain Fighter Squadron