Bomber Command

Max Hastings is a good author, I have read a number of his other books and his straight talking impartial always came through.Not so in this book. Yes its a good read and I will probably read it again, but he obviously has an issue with Harris.Numerous comments throughout show his bias and he talks from hindsight. He ignored that Harris couldn't have made his decisions in isolation and the allied leadership supported the bombing (otherwise they would have stopped him earlier).Hastings mostly ignores that Germany had indiscriminately bombed it's way across Europe, bombing civilians at will and machine gunning refugees. Major civilian parts of the UK had been repeatedly bombed and the Government and the public wanted the German public to get a taste of what their air force had dished out.In future just tell people what happened and keep your personal comments to yourself - your readers can make their own minds up on right and wrong

Whilst the detailed research, blending of personal, squadron and senior command experience is first class, there is an agenda here. Hastings doesn't like Harris, and everything else seems like a case for the prosecution. Hastings has the advantage of hindsight and an in depth knowledge of what was going on inside the Reich. He seems to think that Harris and every senior British commander should have known the same. He also seems incapable of seeing events through 1940s eyes.He would be best to present in a more balanced format, and let readers make their own decisions. But that wouldn't sell books half as well as a controversial character assassination.

I always have mixed feelings when an author writes about his own country and its exploitsThis book is very different - Max Hastings takes a largely high-level view of a complex and emotional topic and analyses it in great detailHe does this in a style that is extremely readable, without fluff or going off-trackThis book should be "mandatory" reading for anyone of school going age and above, in the UK (and elsewhere)Highly recommended!

This is an excellent examination of what is still a contentious subject: the bombing campaign against Germany. The author provides a masterly survey of this key part of the air war, including areas that are nearly always overlooked: for example, the early phase that lasted from the start of the war, through the Battle of Britain, until the "heavies" (most notably the Lancaster) came into service. Most potential readers of this book will be aware of the huge loss rate among Bomber Command crews, but I expect many won't be aware of the even greater sacrifices made in the early years, with crews having to cope with inadequate aircraft and a formidable enemy. I certainly was not.The author also brings valuable insight into questions about the later, and better known, parts of the campaign, deftly painting a gripping picture of both grand strategy and (just as importantly) the minutiae of what was involved. Whatever conclusions may be drawn about the morality and value of the campaign now, from the safety of of a time of peace, the courage of the bomber crews demands admiration and respect.Even if you've read many books on the subject already, this should be in your collection.

Superb account of a most challenging subject full of moral as well as shifting military dilemmas. Hastings, as always, addresses topics from multiple perspectives to allow you to make your own judgement. Of course he doesn't avoid presenting his conclusions but you feel you are given the information to disagree with him.The entire book, from start to finish, is compelling, but one chapter deserves highlighting. His detailed description of the bombing of Darmstadt on 9/11 1944 is stunning and somewhat chilling noting subsequent events 50+ years later. Some 12,000 people, mostly civilians including many children, were killed that night.In addition though to describing the horror of the bombing on both the bombing crew and the "bombed" Hastings also looked at the operational costs and introduced, to me, the notion that the deployment of bombers had both strategic and tactical failings. For example the continued area bombing of cities came at huge expense while the potential of sustained bombing of oil facilities, which would have had more impact, was not exploited.Hasting's assessment, towards the end of the book, that "Bomber Command was very well served by its aircrew, and with a very few exceptions very badly served by its senior officers, in the Second World War" is hard to argue with.