Meet renowned history authors at the IWM Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show

The Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show takes place during IWM Duxford’s centenary year, celebrating Duxford’s important history and principle role as a vital Second World War fighter station.

Alongside a spectacular flying display featuring more than 40 exceptional historic aircraft, including a poignant mass flypast of 14 Spitfires and evocative 1940s ground content, visitors will be able to meet renowned authors who are experts in a range of Second World War specialisms and subjects, in the Meet the Authors marquee.

Authors attending on Saturday 23 September include:

Joshua Levine, author of Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture.

Joshua Levine has written seven best-selling histories including The Secret History of the Blitz, Forgotten Voices of Dunkirk and Forgotten Voices of the Blitz and the Battle for Britain.  Most recently, Joshua worked as historical consultant on Christopher Nolan’s film Dunkirk.  Told from the viewpoints of land, sea and air, Joshua Levine’s Dunkirk is a dramatic account of a defeat that paved the way to ultimate victory.

James Hamilton-Paterson, author of Blackbird: the Untouchable Spy Plane

A prolific author, James Hamilton-Paterson has written non-fiction books about the sea, classical music and aviation.  His book Empire of the Clouds, a history and rumination on the decline of the British aviation industry, has sold over 140,000 copies across all editions, including a deluxe illustrated edition. He has since written Marked for Death, a critically acclaimed history of the First World War in the air, and a definitive book on the Blackbird SR-71 Spy Plane. 

Jackie Hyams, author of Spitfire Stories

Jackie Hyams is a London-based journalist and author of several non-fiction historical titles.  These include the best-selling 1950s memoir Bombsites & Lollipops; The Female Few: Spitfire Heroines of the Air Transport Auxiliary and Bomb Girls: Britain’s Secret Army: The Munitions Women of WWII.  Published in association with Imperial War Museums, Spitfire Stories recounts the memories of the people who designed, maintained or flew this iconic aircraft.

Authors attending on Sunday 24 September include:

Clare Mulley, author of The Women Who Flew for Hitler

Clare Mulley is an award-winning historical biographer. Her first book, The Woman Who Saved the Children, about child rights pioneer Eglantyne Jebb, won the Daily Mail Biographers Club Prize.  The Spy Who Loved looks at the remarkable life of Krystyna Skarbek, codename Christine Granville, Britain’s first female special agent of the Second World War and has been optioned by Universal Studios. Clare’s new book, The Women Who Flew for Hitler, is a dual biography of Hanna Reitsch and Melitta von Stauffenberg, the only women to serve as test pilots for Nazi Germany.

Peter Caddick-Adams, author of Monty and Rommel: Parallel Lives

Peter Caddick-Adams is a leading military historian and has been lecturer in Military and Security Studies at the Defence Academy, Shrivenham, since 1999.  Monty and Rommel: Parallel Lives portrays the two men who came to personify British and German generalship in the Second World War.

Damien Lewis, author of Hunting the Nazi Bomb

Damien Lewis is an author and journalist who has written a dozen non-fiction books and thrillers, including Zero Six Bravo, The Nazi Hunters and Churchill’s Secret Warriors, topping bestseller lists worldwide.  His new bestseller, Hunting the Nazi Bomb, explores the Special Forces’ mission to sabotage Hitler’s deadliest weapon – a nuclear bomb.

Taylor Downing, author of Secret Warriors

Taylor Downing is a television producer and author of several popular books on the First and Second World Wars and on the Cold War, including Spies in the Sky, Churchill’s War Lab, Cold War and Night Raid.

Author talks and book signings will take place in the Authors’ Marquee, which is located next to the control tower at IWM Duxford. They are included in the cost of admission to the air show.

In addition, thrilling activities across the museum site include:

• A major site-specific contemporary art installation by BAFTA award-winning artist Nick Ryan, commemorating 100 years of Duxford’s history and stories.  
• The Home Front village, with swinging sounds from the Debonaires Jump Jive Swinging Little Big Band, wartime harmonies from The Bluebird Belles and 1940s dance demonstrations from dance troupe Jitterbug Jive.
• An exciting new visual reality experience, where visitors can discover what it’s like to fly in a Spitfire in the skies above IWM Duxford.
• Colonel Richard Graham hosting his popular talks about flying the SR-71 Blackbird, next to the aircraft he flew, in the American Air Museum.
• Outside the American Air Museum, members of the Rangers Re-enactors living history group will be representing Second World War United States Army Air Forces ground crew.
• Members of the Royal Flying Corps living history group, representing First World War pilots, will be meeting visitors and showing a rare replica DH2 aircraft.
• Members of 677 Squadron, 6 Regiment Army Air Corps, will be meeting visitors and introducing them to their Lynx helicopter photobooth.