The war in the air was fought as a 24/7 battle and this is the story of the defence against German night air attacks in the first crucial first phase. During the day the air war was marked by growing German reluctance to send bombers over England during the day after September 1940 but at night the bombers came. The defences had to be assembled and nourished while the Luftwaffe made nightly raids particularly on London and the main ports. This is the story of that battle from the height of the daytime Battle of Britain through to the dreary nights of December 1941. An exceptional piece of historical writing, with all appendices included.