Product Description

Martin Middlebrook enjoys an international reputation with his superbly researched, compelling accounts of major turning points in the two World Wars. An absorbing account of the biggest bombing offensive in World War Two, based on the accounts of those who experienced it on both sides - in the air and on the ground.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #283591 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

About the Author
Following his first book, The First Day on the Somme, Martin Middlebrook has published a series of books on major turning points in the two World Wars - all classics of military history.

Customer Reviews

The World War II Berlin operations brought to life
Yet another excellent work by Martin Middlebrook. The depth and quality of the research shows in the writing. The basic facts and figures of the campaign are interspersed with accounts of each specific raid, including graphics of routings and losses, as well as the personal stories of individuals involved. The book presents a well balanced picture of the events by the inclusion of the German perspective from both military and civilian sources. The true "flavour" of the times can be gleaned from this work. It illustrates the quiet courage which kept the young men of Bomber Command returning night after night to what was probably the costliest target of the war in the air. A "must" for the collection of anyone with any interest in the Royal Air Force and in particular Bomber Command.

A readable but disturbing book
MM sure knows his onions and he complements the stats with excellent accounts from both sides of the battle.

This approach makes for a very easy read and you find yourself drawn in hoping for a good outcome. Of course there isn't going to be one and you know that but read on.

I find it staggering that these brave men would go out on these raids knowing how the odds were stacked against them. As he says, one raid saw more casualties than Fighter Command suffered in the Battle of Britain. They 'pressed on' and in retrospect it is puzzling why. There is of course the school of thought that much comes down to Harris. In the armed forces you are supposed to follow orders. He comes across as single-minded and The Battle for Berlin was his supreme folly.

The snag is no one will ever know how close these raids may have been to cracking the Nazi will. More ordnance was expended on this city than several Hiroshimas in equivalent kilo-tonnage but it did not knock Germany out of the war.

Perhaps what disturbed this amateur student of the bomber offensive was the RAF's failure to counter Luftwaffe attacks. MM puts forward a good case for the lack of good intelligence about Luftwaffe tactics combined with the Schrage Muzik attack method. There were other problems too but these two likely caused the horrendous losses.

And it would not have been so bad had the bombers hit the target accurately and consistently. Weather and other factors often prevented this.

Until D-Day there was little the West could do to hit the Nazis so you could justify Harris's scheme that way. But I have always had the suspicion that he was too arrogant to change his mind. That's the price we pay - we have to have strong leaders but all too often they have character flaws. I feel so sorry for those bomber crews and their families. Maybe also for those on the ground who were also led by a strong willed man albeit one with even more character flaws.

Blow By Blow Account of Air War
Martin Middlebrook's book on the Berlin raids has been through a number of printings - and deservedly so since it is such a well produced chronological account of the events of 1943 and 1944. The book properly takes into account technological developments on both sides, and looks at the damage on the ground, as well as the performance of the attackers. It highlights particularly well the differing attributes of the British bombers: Lancaster, Halifax, Sterling and Mosquito, which were the main types in use. Both British, and some German, primary sources have been used to excellent account, and appendices give plenty of squadron and group data.

One of the main problems with attempting a work of this sort is that what is effectively a list of similar raids could become turgid: Middlebrook largely avoids this however by the liveliness and quality of his writing. Another approach might have been to construct the anatomy of one 'typical' raid using examples from many - then present the total statistics as tables. Nevertheless Middlebrook's methodology is more exact, and makes it easier to refer back to the book for an account of any one day or raid.

A recommended work, especially for anybody with an interest in the RAF; World War II; aircraft or bombing.