Adrian's new book Rearming The RAF For The Second World War was published globally by Pen & Sword History in June 2022. It looks behind the familiar legends that culminated in the Battle of Britain and applies the same remorseless dissection of the inner workings of government to decisions and policies whose effects went far further than simple military choices.
"A compelling, sometimes shocking and always thought provoking description of what happens when blind prejudice, bureaucratic infighting and ill-formed theories are allowed to determine defence policy and the security of the nation." Robert Lyman, author of 'A War of Empires: Japan, India, Burma & Britain, 1941-45'
Adrian is fascinated by the usually hidden, often flawed and sometimes discreditable processes by which governments take important decisions. He focuses on the networks of individuals and institutions which are the true deciders of events. He comments regularly on these themes to public and private audiences and the broadcast media. His popular "Eighty Years Ago" blog is tracing the events of 1942 week-by-week as they would have appeared to a shrewd member of the British public with an eye for what was going on in home politics as well as the war. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
"....a remarkable coup. By sedulous research he has been able to shed fresh light on the intricate political manoeuvres surrounding one of most studied episodes in our history..... an elegant and compelling book.” Piers Brendon, author of Edward VIII: The Uncrowned King"
"This impressive book provides a detailed exposition of the case against appeasement. Written with clarity and verve, it draws on a vast range of unpublished material..." Lord Lexden OBE, Official Historian of the Conservative Party in The House.
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