The Spitfire was beloved by its pilots for its speed and responsiveness and has become a lasting hero of British popular culture with a starring role in television documentaries and feature films such as Reach for the Sky. Rendall tells of the quest of the gifted designer Reginald J Mitchell to provide the RAF with the world's best fighting aeroplane, then charts its evolution during the Battle of Britain and in the Western Desert, before celebrating its continuing presence in air shows and flypasts.
