Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14966 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Review
'Deeply humane, lucidly written and powerful!All this bravery, and the way of life that supported it, are faithfully recorded in Bishop's refreshingly unpretentious account.' Michael Burleigh, Sunday Times 'This is the best kind of military history -- the kind in which the author never loses sight of the impact of war on its victims, German as well as British, and those who were left behind. "Bomber Boys" will remind the survivors that they and their lost comrades are not forgotten. And it reminds the rest of us what their war was all about.' Daniel Johnson, Evening Standard 'This is a terrific book, so riveting, exciting and moving that it must help bring back the Bomber Boys to their rightful place of honour. A true war memorial.' Montagu Curzon, Spectator 'The less glam but no less gallant long-range bombers!receive belated tribute in this zippy history.' Evening Standard 'The less glam but no less gallant receive belated tribute here.' The Scotsman 'Bishop's research is broad and deep, and he is equally convincing on the strategy of the campaign, the practice of delivery and the awful cost.' Daily Telegraph 'A compelling account of life in RAF Bomber Command![Bishop] covers every aspect of their lives!as he tells their stories, he keeps hold of the strategy that led these men to be flying in the first place.' Daily Telegraph 'Wonderfully sensitive and sympathetic!Bishop has produced a superb human portrait of the men who did so many remarkable things over Germany!this book is a fitting memorial to their sacrifice, and an admirably judicious verdict on the successes and failures of the bomber offensive.' Daily Mail 'Bishop narrates with the combination of cool curiosity and warm engagement common to the best foreign correspondents (a category to which, of course, he belongs)!Above all, he reveals how humanity stubbornly survives even within inhumanity!May Patrick Bishop's moving, sensitively written book gain many readers.' Frederick Taylor, Literary Review 'This book is!a tribute to the courage of the "Bomber Boys" themselves. It is not only persuasively argued but also thrilling and in places profoundly moving.' Daily Express 'I closed the book feeling a great flood of pity for both the bombed and the bombers. There is no contradiction: both were the sacrificial victims of war!as in all good books, it is the details that stick in the mind.' Mail on Sunday 'Brings vividly to life the experiences of the nearly half million people who served in Bomber Command!makes superb use of interviews with veterans, but also covers the strategic and moral issues with admirable objectivity and clarity.' The Times 'Bishop builds up an intimate day-to-day portrait of life in Bomber Command, through an extensive series of interviews!superbly written and authoritative!the members of Bomber Command now have a fitting commenmoration of their heroic deeds.' Observer 'No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved! there can't be a finer history.' New Statesman Praise for Fighter Boys: 'Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.' TJ Binyon, Evening Standard 'A superb account of the spirit and character of Fighter Command.' Martin Fletcher, Independent 'I know of no more thoughtful nor yet more moving study of their achievement.' Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph 'No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved!there can't be a finer history.' New Statesman 'Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.' Evening Standard 'As a vivid chronicle of who the Battle of Britain pilots were, what motivated them, and why they were ultimately successful, Fighter Boys is unsurpassed.' Daily Telegraph 'A living, breathing monument to the fighter boys.' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

Daily Mail
'...Bishop has produced a superb human portrait of the men who did
so many remarkable things over Germany...'

Evening Standard
'As one of the bravest and best war correspondents alive, Bishop
has an instinctive sympathy for his subject...'

Customer Reviews

Old Lags of Bomber Command
As an ex Bomber Boy this book is first class and shows the modern youth how we responded to the threat of Nazi domination and despite the denigration of our efforts by modern 'hindsight' historians, most young people I have met do not look upon us as 'terrorists'. I for one have faith in our 21st century young men that they would respond as we did in 1943/45.

Magnificent
One word sums up this book: magnificent. It is history of the highest calibre. It is thoroughly researched and written with sensitivity and great style. It is a fitting memorial to the thousands of brave young men of Bomber Command who gave their lives in the cause of freedom. For too long have these men been forgotten and often reviled. Mr Bishop's brilliant book is a long overdue reminder that they deserve to be revered as much as the heroes of Fighter Command.

Outstanding
As the grandson of a flight-engineer on Lancasters I have a personal reason to value this original and thoughtful look at the lives of the only 'boys' who fought from start to finish of World War II. Bishop takes a ground-up perspective and focuses on the experiences of the airmen themslves, adding details of policy and politics where it becomes appropriate to the main theme. He has researched both ageing memories and first hand documentary accounts of what is thankfully our only strategic air war. The sacrifice of those who were clearly so talented and gave so willingly shines as an inspiration from these pages. The scale of the losses is sobering - eight thousand men died in training accidents alone. Could we do it again? I wonder.