I Saw England (1941)

First Edition of the First-Hand Account of The Battle of Britain

Robertson, Ben. I Saw England. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1941.

Octavo. Hardcover. 1st Edition.

First edition of this exceptional account of the Battle of Britain, written by a talented journalist who died in a plane crash in 1943 on his way to head up the London Bureau of the New York Herald-Tribune. The highlight of a tragically brief career, I Saw England details journalist Ben Robertson's experiences during The Battle of Britain. The book is a prime example of on-the-streets journalism. Robertson headed to air raid shelters and talked to those forced to sleep there. He covered the experiences of firemen in London. He spoke with the RAF as they dealt with the tension and terrors of battle. He even visited Coventry after the devastating bombing. Robertson left Britain with respect for the fortitude of the British people and had every intention of covering the war there, only to die in a plane crash in 1943. Book about-fine, dust jacket extremely good with light wear and toning to extremities.