Product Description

In 1943 the RAF began a bombing campaign against Germany, the like of which had never before been seen. Over the next twelve months, tens of thousands of aircrews flew across the North Sea to drop their bombs on German cities. They were opposed not only by the full force of the Luftwaffe, but by a nightmare of flak, treacherously icy conditions, and constant mechanical malfunction. Most of these crews never finished their tour of operations but were either shot down and killed, or taken prisoner by an increasingly hostile enemy. This is the story of the everyday heroism of British bomber crews in the days when it was widely believed that the Allies could win the Second World War by bombing alone. Kevin Wilson has interviewed hundreds of former airmen about what their lives were like in 1943: the stomach-churning tension of flying repeatedly over hostile territory, the terror at being shot down or captured, and the peculiar mixture of guilt and pride at unleashing such devastation on Germany.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #58091 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Review
'Wilson tells a gripping tale...' SCOTTISH LEGION NEWS 'Kevin Wilson's excellent new book... is a fine tribute to the men who fought and died.' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'Meticulously researched and grippingly recounted, this is a first-rate contirbution to our understanding of the Second World War.' DAILY EXPRESS 'well worth reading... evocative, individual and representative of the men and women of Harris's command.' -- Christopher Jary BRITISH ARMY REVIEW 'this gripping narrative collection is a heartfelt salute to that dwindling band of veterans and a moving memorial to the ones who didn't make it home.' MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS

Review
'Wilson has put together an incisive history.' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE (June 06) )

Christopher Jary, BRITISH ARMY REVIEW
'well worth reading... evocative, individual and representative of the men and women of Harris's command.'

Customer Reviews

Bomber Boys: The Ruhr, the Dambusters and Bloody Berlin
A well written account of Bomber Command's development from a rather amateur outfit to a giant killing machine. Was 'Bomber' Harris right to believe he could win the war by bombing alone, given that no-one had ever tried before? One thing is for sure - Bomber Command's thousands of young men who flew the operations in the dark skies over Germany paid a horrendous price, but certainly brought the war to the German people when no-one else could. In doing so, they sowed the first seeds of doubt in the minds of the German High Command about the future of the Thousand Year Reich. The book also charts the race of the scientific 'boffins' on both sides to counter each new development to regain the (always temporary) advantage. The fear and fascination of 'flying into hell' is graphically captured, and the isolation of the few who managed to escape from falling bombers over enemy territory. It remains a matter of shame that the courageous men of Bomber Command were not honoured with a campaign medal, regardless of the doubts cast over the campaign in the latter part of the war. Kevin Wilson's book leaves us in no doubt of the debt owed to these men.

The debt we all owe
With most of the UK's population born since 1945, the Second World War is becoming a distant, hazy conflict with seemingly limited relevance to the early 21st Century. Yet without the heroism of the RAF and the rest of our Armed Forces, Hitler might well have won the war and inflicted mass punishment on the peoples of these islands.
Fortunately this account of Bomber Command's campaign in 1943 shows what a massive debt we owe to aircrews whose chances of getting back to their bases were horrifyingly low. Through its graphic descriptions of the aerial battles and moving interviews with the dwindling band of survivors, this book brings home the vital role of strategic bombing in the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Read it and give thanks for the sacrifices Britain's young men made for us.

Bomber Boys - Kevin Wilson
A wonderful book, moving, exciting, informative and superbly researched by the author. An absolute must for anyone interested in the history of World War 2 and of the role of the RAF's Bomber Command in securing the allied victory. The writer is currently working on a book with related subject matter,