Between August 1943 and March 1944 the RAF flew over 10,000 sorties and dropped over 30,000 tons of bombs on Berlin. But Berlin was not destroyed and the RAF lost more than 600 aircraft and their crews. Martin Middlebrook meticulously reconstructs the course of this battle, using his interviews with over 400 people, including the people of Berlin and Luftwaffe crews. He brings together the stories of both sides to form a total picture of those grim, heroic and terrifying days.
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.
No other bombing campaign in World War II against a single target was pressed so relentlessly for so long, and at such a cost, as British Bomber Command's seven-month campaign to break the German will by destroying Berlin. More than 10,000 sorties were launched, more than 30,000 tons of bombs dropped. Six hundred and seven British aircraft were lost. Balancing the cost of the campaign against advantages gained, the official Royal Air Force historian concluded early on that the Battle of Berlin ``was more than a failure. It was a defeat.'' Middlebrook ( The First Day on the Somme ) isn't so condemning, although he judges that Luftwaffe night-fighters in combination with ground anti-aircraft defenses hurt Bomber Command more than Bomber Command harmed Berlin. His straightforward narrative covers the 19 major raids, with a detailed description of three in particular, and includes recollections by British and German airmen as well as German civilians who weathered the storm that lasted throughout the winter of 1943-44. Photos. (Jan.)
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