During the first two years of World War II, Britain was valiant yet vulnerable, and the Nazis were poised to consume Europe. The United States was officially neutral, but many Americans were nonetheless close to the frontlines. Viewing this time from the fresh perspective of these expatriate Americans, Robert Lyman presents accounts by such figures as dancer and activist Josephine Baker, as well as young volunteers in the RAF, among them, aces James Goodison, Art Donahue, and the wealthy playboy Billy Fiske—the first American pilot to die in action during the Battle of Britain.