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The First Day of the Blitz: September 7, 1940
On September 7, 1940, the long-feared and anticipated attack by the German Luftwaffe plunged London into a cauldron of fire and devastation. This compelling book recreates that day in all its horror, using rich archival sources and first-hand accounts, many never before published. Eminent historian Peter Stansky weaves together the stories of people who recorded their experiences of the opening hours of the Blitz. Then, exploring more deeply, the author examines what that critical day meant to the nation at the time, and what it came to mean in following years. Much of the future of Britain was determined in the first twelve hours of bombing, Stansky contends. The Blitz set in motion a range of responses that contributed to ultimate victory over Germany and to a transformation of British society. The wave of terror, though designed to quash morale, instead inspired stoicism, courage, and a new camaraderie. The tragic London bombing can reveal much of relevance to our own violent times, Stansky both the effectiveness of modern terror and its ultimate failure are made powerfully clear by the events of September 7, 1940.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Peter Stansky
44 books9 followersPeter Stansky was educated at Yale University, King's College, Cambridge and Harvard University. He taught at Harvard and then at Stanford University, retiring in 2005 as the Frances and Charles Field Professor of History. At Stanford he taught modern British history, directed PhD dissertations, chaired his department as well as holding various administrative posts and in the course of his career was awarded several outside fellowships. He is also former President of the North American Conference on British Studies.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 31, 2020
The many firsthand accounts quoted at length throughout the book are fascinating and varied. The author's attempts to synthesize them into an actual book are clumsy and successful. The result is a collection of interesting quotes thrown together in rough categories and linked with repetitive, sometimes self-contradictory prose.
February 27, 2017
I have long been fascinated by the story of how the British population withstood the brutal 8-month bombing campaign by Germany near the start of WW2. This book really fit the bill for me as I wanted to read a good self-contained history of this event that was not of exhaustive length. The author, in just under 200 pages, re-lives the first day (really first weekend) of this carpet bombing mostly as it happened in London (the other targeted cities are more briefly examined) and weaves in the socio-political context as well. The dock areas of the poorer, working-class East End were particularly victimized and the generous servings of contemporary press reports and personal recollections really bring this to life. Stansky explains that the overall failure of the Nazis to break the will of the populace (thus showing that Hitler was not invincible) finally made the British government more sensitive to the needs of the general citizenry, leading to more enlightened social policies after the war.
April 22, 2026
This book reminds me of a book I read last year on the first day after our country dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima (Hiroshima by John Henry). Of course, the impact of that bomb was to bring a war to an end – and did shortly after another horrific bomb was dropped. In this case, the British put on their tea, held a stiff upper lip and persisted with the leadership of Churchill.
The power of this book, like the one of the bombings of Hiroshima, presented first-hand reports from people impacted. It also provided details of the full consequences of the bombing, the English governments preparations and changes to respond and keep calm and an analysis of why Hitler’s strategy did not have the results he desired. Unlike the bombing of Japan, it was not about two bombs but months of a bombing campaign.
It started on a beautiful day, September 7, 1940, when many British were enjoying their tea and German military formed a 20-mile-wide sky of terror, 800 square miles across with 348 German bombers and 617 German fighters. Bombing continued for 56 of 57 consecutive nights until May 10, 1941.
The author explained how Britain had been preparing since Hitler c me to power for war with a civil defense plan, including establishing an air raid warden network with 16,000 full-time wardens (of which only 16,000 were paid), issuing gas masks (38 million), and supplementing the cost of Anderson shelters. They calculated a high level of casualties of 66,000 a week (about the level that were killed by bombing the entire war). The authorities were concerned about using the tube stations from being shelters for fear of a “defeatist shelter mentality.”
There are so many first-hand accounts of the English enjoying tea, their gardens and one another when the assault started. Many thought the sounds were coming from British planes until the bombs started to fall. Londoners were surprised when another raid started the following night at 8:10 pm with 300 tons of high explosive bombs. The government was not ready to help with all the people who were homeless or to deal with the bombs that fell but did not explode. This book made it clear that humans can adopt to nearly anything, which is what happened in Britain. Very quickly, Britian citizens moved from disbelief that it was happening to “how dare Germany do this to us” then to a seeking of revenge. Churchill’s address from down under helped keep the focus where it needed to be to endure.
The first-hand accounts from a London museum on war spoke about bombs falling near to homes, leveling people’s own homes, killing people they knew, children who were terrified and screaming, noises that were “heart stopping,” seeing deaths on the streets, and a view of London that was dark and smoldering. One letter spoke about having a second sun set for the color of the sky from the fires caused by the German bombs looked like another sunset. The written accounts also spoke about the crowded conditions in the air raid shelters, antisemitic views that came across, the smells and children screaming in close quarters. Refugees were evident all over the country, especially in London. People were sleep deprived, causing extra stress on medical personnel.
An 18-year-old spoke about jumping on his bike to view the aftermath of the bombing, having lived through “my most momentous day.” People questioned their religious faith while others continued to worship instead of seeking underground cover. Fire fighting was especially difficult with volunteer and career fire fighters extinguishing 13,00 fires in London in the two months of the horrendous campaign of terror. Other cities also were fired upon, although the book centered on London. Mostly, the Germans missed the large manufacturing facilities that fed Britian’s war machine. The government placed spotters on the roof of their factories so the production would only be shut down for the time necessary when, for example, the Ford plant was hit.
The British government did not permit specific information on schools and factories struck so Germany did not have access to their successes. But the media was used to attract American’s interest in joining the war effort beyond the “land-lease” arrangement. Most media was “pro-British,” especially Edward R. Murrow, an important journalist for the Americans. The British government kept track of the mood of their citizens and Churchill provided the necessary leadership during the difficult time. The government also did not permit publishing pictures of the dead. They emphasized the “people’s war” and how the country was unified even though not all were in the same boat, some were lotting and others acting badly.
The book also speculated that Hitler’s decision not to invade might have cost him victory over Britain, the remaining power in Europe. The author said that Hitler had hoped that the bombing campaign would bring the government to sue for peace. Perhaps if Germany had targeted the wealthier area of London where homeowners had more to lose and a tighter connection to the government, they would have reached out for some settlement. Before the campaign, Hitler had told a large rally that he was going to raze London to the ground. Later, when England bombed Berlin, it surprised the Germans for they had been promised by Goering they were safe from bombs raining on their city and might have angered Hitler to continue the assault instead of invading the country.
This book was a quick interesting book about persevering, leadership, and having a clear goal. It also demonstrates the terror or war, especially at this time when America is again ready to rain down bombs on Iran. Having read a book on our bombing of Berlin during WWII and visiting both amazing cities – Berlin and London – it also proves that we can move forward, change and appreciate life once again.
The power of this book, like the one of the bombings of Hiroshima, presented first-hand reports from people impacted. It also provided details of the full consequences of the bombing, the English governments preparations and changes to respond and keep calm and an analysis of why Hitler’s strategy did not have the results he desired. Unlike the bombing of Japan, it was not about two bombs but months of a bombing campaign.
It started on a beautiful day, September 7, 1940, when many British were enjoying their tea and German military formed a 20-mile-wide sky of terror, 800 square miles across with 348 German bombers and 617 German fighters. Bombing continued for 56 of 57 consecutive nights until May 10, 1941.
The author explained how Britain had been preparing since Hitler c me to power for war with a civil defense plan, including establishing an air raid warden network with 16,000 full-time wardens (of which only 16,000 were paid), issuing gas masks (38 million), and supplementing the cost of Anderson shelters. They calculated a high level of casualties of 66,000 a week (about the level that were killed by bombing the entire war). The authorities were concerned about using the tube stations from being shelters for fear of a “defeatist shelter mentality.”
There are so many first-hand accounts of the English enjoying tea, their gardens and one another when the assault started. Many thought the sounds were coming from British planes until the bombs started to fall. Londoners were surprised when another raid started the following night at 8:10 pm with 300 tons of high explosive bombs. The government was not ready to help with all the people who were homeless or to deal with the bombs that fell but did not explode. This book made it clear that humans can adopt to nearly anything, which is what happened in Britain. Very quickly, Britian citizens moved from disbelief that it was happening to “how dare Germany do this to us” then to a seeking of revenge. Churchill’s address from down under helped keep the focus where it needed to be to endure.
The first-hand accounts from a London museum on war spoke about bombs falling near to homes, leveling people’s own homes, killing people they knew, children who were terrified and screaming, noises that were “heart stopping,” seeing deaths on the streets, and a view of London that was dark and smoldering. One letter spoke about having a second sun set for the color of the sky from the fires caused by the German bombs looked like another sunset. The written accounts also spoke about the crowded conditions in the air raid shelters, antisemitic views that came across, the smells and children screaming in close quarters. Refugees were evident all over the country, especially in London. People were sleep deprived, causing extra stress on medical personnel.
An 18-year-old spoke about jumping on his bike to view the aftermath of the bombing, having lived through “my most momentous day.” People questioned their religious faith while others continued to worship instead of seeking underground cover. Fire fighting was especially difficult with volunteer and career fire fighters extinguishing 13,00 fires in London in the two months of the horrendous campaign of terror. Other cities also were fired upon, although the book centered on London. Mostly, the Germans missed the large manufacturing facilities that fed Britian’s war machine. The government placed spotters on the roof of their factories so the production would only be shut down for the time necessary when, for example, the Ford plant was hit.
The British government did not permit specific information on schools and factories struck so Germany did not have access to their successes. But the media was used to attract American’s interest in joining the war effort beyond the “land-lease” arrangement. Most media was “pro-British,” especially Edward R. Murrow, an important journalist for the Americans. The British government kept track of the mood of their citizens and Churchill provided the necessary leadership during the difficult time. The government also did not permit publishing pictures of the dead. They emphasized the “people’s war” and how the country was unified even though not all were in the same boat, some were lotting and others acting badly.
The book also speculated that Hitler’s decision not to invade might have cost him victory over Britain, the remaining power in Europe. The author said that Hitler had hoped that the bombing campaign would bring the government to sue for peace. Perhaps if Germany had targeted the wealthier area of London where homeowners had more to lose and a tighter connection to the government, they would have reached out for some settlement. Before the campaign, Hitler had told a large rally that he was going to raze London to the ground. Later, when England bombed Berlin, it surprised the Germans for they had been promised by Goering they were safe from bombs raining on their city and might have angered Hitler to continue the assault instead of invading the country.
This book was a quick interesting book about persevering, leadership, and having a clear goal. It also demonstrates the terror or war, especially at this time when America is again ready to rain down bombs on Iran. Having read a book on our bombing of Berlin during WWII and visiting both amazing cities – Berlin and London – it also proves that we can move forward, change and appreciate life once again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2018
I picked this book up while I was in London (where else) as I was surrounded by history and the reminder of the Blitz. Unfortunately this book while having some interesting gems was generally repetitive and at times down right tedious. It often read as an academic thesis rather than a narrative history. I guess in an attempt to fill up 200 pages of text about the events of one day some repetition is required. However, it did read oddly when in each chapter (which were mostly thematically based) he discussed that some people were brave and others were not. This is rather self-evident for anyone who has a basic understanding of human nature. There is no question that Stansky has found some small intriguing reminiscences to bring into the public domain but generally if you are after a book about the Blitz I am sure there are many better.
September 4, 2013
Beginning on September 7, 1940, Great Britain’s capital was pounded by Germany’s Luftwaffe for 57 consecutive nights. After that initial phase, with somewhat decreasing intensity punctuated by a few enormously destructive raids, London and other British industrial and port cities were bombed without interruption until May 11, 1941. On that final night, after nine months of trying to bring the country to its knees, the Germans unleashed their most lethal raid, killing nearly 1,500 Londoners. Altogether, the death toll in London from the Blitz was 40,000. This fascinating and absorbing book examines how the city coped.
February 3, 2008
Valuable first-hand insight and analysis of 7 September, 1940--the first day of the Blitz in London. The book gives just enough background to understand the events leading up to the Blitz, and details a little of what happens afterward.
Want to Read
February 7, 2015Source for Secrets of a Charmed Life
May 19, 2025
Originally written as an effort to compare September 7-8 of 1940 with other bolt from the blue disasters, particularly 9/11/2001, I don't think that this book has aged very well. This is especially since I gather Prof. Stansky was looking for exemplary lessons, and the exemplary lesson of 9/11 for the United States remains that outrage is no substitute for strategy.
Be that as it may, as simply an examination of that milestone in the Battle of Britain, I did find this a useful read, in terms of what the authorities expected, how the great aerial siege on London played out, and what it meant in terms of lived experience.
About the one major gaffe I'd attribute to this work in terms of historical understanding is buried in the footnotes, where Stansky comments about now the Allied aerial bombardment effort had a similar lack of strategic effectiveness compared to the German. Read Phillips Payson O'Brien's "How the War was Won" of 2015 for a cogent defense of Allied strategic bombing as an effective instrument of war.
Actual rating: 3.5.
Be that as it may, as simply an examination of that milestone in the Battle of Britain, I did find this a useful read, in terms of what the authorities expected, how the great aerial siege on London played out, and what it meant in terms of lived experience.
About the one major gaffe I'd attribute to this work in terms of historical understanding is buried in the footnotes, where Stansky comments about now the Allied aerial bombardment effort had a similar lack of strategic effectiveness compared to the German. Read Phillips Payson O'Brien's "How the War was Won" of 2015 for a cogent defense of Allied strategic bombing as an effective instrument of war.
Actual rating: 3.5.
January 15, 2026
doing my due diligence and finishing this since i did in fact write an entire research paper on it last semester without reading it in its entirety. if anyone wants to read research on anderson shelters during the london blitz you know who to call
August 18, 2017
Pedantic and tedious. Expected better.
October 10, 2021
Fairly decent book, it should be approached as an academic thesis. It does get fairly repetitive but I feel it shows the impact that war has on society well.
February 8, 2011
Two and a half stars, lowered due to the redundancy, occasional poor writing, and pronouncements I found pompous, though others may not mind. Already familiar with much of the material, I was most interested in the bits new to me, so I may use the bibliography for further reading.
Redundancy: how many times does he need to say that some of the people were heroic under the stress of the Blitz, and some were not? Ditto that the government underestimated the resulting homelessness that would occur? Etc.
Poor writing: Stransky would, when speaking of various authors living in or near London, refer to their novels or short stories, but would do so in an awkward manner, i.e., mentioning a character's name without any context, irritating to the reader unfamiliar with the material (and there is no reason for the reader to know of these works; they are not well-known.)
Pomposity: Dragging in his views correlating the Blitz to 9/11, multiple times--once would have sufficed. And, not exactly pomposity, but his tendency to say obvious things over and over--how yes, some people behaved such and such a way but others did not. (The government thought the people would react in panic and some did but some didn't. Some people were stoic, some were scared silly. Some people left the city, some did not. Etc. Duh.)
Redundancy: how many times does he need to say that some of the people were heroic under the stress of the Blitz, and some were not? Ditto that the government underestimated the resulting homelessness that would occur? Etc.
Poor writing: Stransky would, when speaking of various authors living in or near London, refer to their novels or short stories, but would do so in an awkward manner, i.e., mentioning a character's name without any context, irritating to the reader unfamiliar with the material (and there is no reason for the reader to know of these works; they are not well-known.)
Pomposity: Dragging in his views correlating the Blitz to 9/11, multiple times--once would have sufficed. And, not exactly pomposity, but his tendency to say obvious things over and over--how yes, some people behaved such and such a way but others did not. (The government thought the people would react in panic and some did but some didn't. Some people were stoic, some were scared silly. Some people left the city, some did not. Etc. Duh.)
May 21, 2008
Engaging compliation of personal accounts of those who suffered through the Nazi Blitzkrieg attacks on London. Very detailed and intimate.
September 13, 2012
Interesting subject matter. Too many long quotes from other people for my tastes, but still worth looking at if you are interested in the subject.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews