During the Second World War, Britain's skies were transformed by the drone of aircraft, factory workers toiled around the clock to produce new types of fighters and bombers, and newsreels told stirring stories of aircrews' courage and survival. From within the Ministry of Information in central London, dozens of artists were commissioned by the War Artists Advisory Committee to record these activities - among them Eric Ravilious, Eric Kennington, Paul Nash and Mervyn Peake.

The Air War in Paintings reveals how the artists of the 1940s responded to the unfolding air war in Britain, illuminating their private anxieties, ambitions and experiences. Drawing on IWM's unrivalled collection, this richly illustrated book explores how art was used to build an intimate record of the RAF and the wider war effort at that crucial time.