Hmmm … pros
– by then the U-boats were doing a pretty good job
– only other front – Africa
cons …
– UK’s fighter defence well prepared
– still no decent strategic weaponry/aircraft in (Hitler’s) arsenal
– still loss of pilots problem fighting over enemy territory
I think it was 1940 (ie. catch them semi-unprepared) or not bother.

Option may have been to make UK sorties punitive (in terms of losses etc.) and therefore end up stalemating. Think however UK/Churchill would’ve succeeded in gaining US support in due course. Certainly political support which might have pressured Hitler to (maybe) ease back borders. Would be interesting if it had stalemated – what then? When would the bear have growled?

I’m not sure what bias Martin Middlebrook has. I once spent a week pounding the battlefields of Gallipoli with him and he’s quite an unusual character.
He’s got a knack of rubbing most people up the wrong way in the shortest possible time to a degree that I’ve rarely seen. However he is totally sincere in his devotion to veterans of all wars and gets quite emotional about the loss of men in battle.
He’s a great historian and writes from the heart as well as the mind.
I’m not sure he has too much of an axe to grind in favour of the establishment, but I could be wrong there.

Many thanks Andy

My comment re. bias not at al personal, I’ve never met the man. I did write to him once and got a fairly short (both meanings of the word) response – probably the millionth similar question 😉 My observation is more about the perspective he takes which is very supportive of the various decisions taken by Portal, Harris et al – supportive in that he accepts them without seriously critiquing them (in the manner I might have expected a historical author to do). Perhaps on reflection the bias is mine! I may do a spot on navel gazing on that one.

I agree re. the emotional connection and devotion to the task – empathy is perhaps the right term. I very much respect that. And IMHO there is a positive to his non-critiquing narrative style, it results in a simple lay out of the events from which the reader can draw his/her own conclusions.

All the best, Don

I doubt it Dave – it be dark at night. 😎