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Bomber Boys: Fighting Back, 1940-1945
Patrick Bishop looks at the lives and the extraordinary risks that the painfully young pilots of Bomber Command took during the air-offensive against Germany from 1940-1945. As featured on the BBC 1 documentary BOMBER BOYS, presented by Ewan McGregor.
They came from every corner of Britain and its Empire. They were the best of their generation...heading for one of the worst tasks of the WWII.
Like RAF pilots, the thousands of brave young men who joined Bomber Command took to the air to help Britain triumph in World War Two. But in the glow of victory, the fighter pilots were lauded for their efforts while the Bomber Boys faded in national memory. Crucial in the heat of combat, they were politically awkward afterwards.
Yet with an average life expectancy shorter than that of soldiers on the Western front in WWI, these men faced death, injury and capture time and again to send bombs through the shrieking flak onto enemy territory. ‘Bomber Boys’ is a tribute to their strength, courage and heroism – filling in the historical blanks and immortalising their memory.
They came from every corner of Britain and its Empire. They were the best of their generation...heading for one of the worst tasks of the WWII.
Like RAF pilots, the thousands of brave young men who joined Bomber Command took to the air to help Britain triumph in World War Two. But in the glow of victory, the fighter pilots were lauded for their efforts while the Bomber Boys faded in national memory. Crucial in the heat of combat, they were politically awkward afterwards.
Yet with an average life expectancy shorter than that of soldiers on the Western front in WWI, these men faced death, injury and capture time and again to send bombs through the shrieking flak onto enemy territory. ‘Bomber Boys’ is a tribute to their strength, courage and heroism – filling in the historical blanks and immortalising their memory.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
26 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Bishop
73 books66 followersPatrick Bishop was born in London in 1952 and went to Wimbledon College and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Before joining the Telegraph he worked on the Evening Standard, the Observer and the Sunday Times and in television as a reporter on Channel Four News. He is the author with John Witherow of a history of the Falkands War based on their own experiences and with Eamon Mallie of The Provisional IRA which was praised as the first authoritative account of the modern IRA. He also wrote a memoir the first Gulf War, Famous Victory and a history of the Irish diaspora The Irish Empire, based on the TV series which he devised.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 11, 2018
Patrick Bishop treads a fine line in this well done reassessment of Bomber Command’s (sometimes difficult to justify) role in WW2, and rightly praises the brave men whose duty it was to undertake it.
I found this well written, interesting, balanced and insightful. It’s primarily a chronological history, with a few thematic chapters in the middle, finished off with some decent cutaway drawings of the Lancaster, Halifax, etc. But you might want to look elsewhere if you’re after lots of technical detail - this is as much a social history as it is military.
My only criticism is that I would have liked more accounts from participants, from both sides.
I found this well written, interesting, balanced and insightful. It’s primarily a chronological history, with a few thematic chapters in the middle, finished off with some decent cutaway drawings of the Lancaster, Halifax, etc. But you might want to look elsewhere if you’re after lots of technical detail - this is as much a social history as it is military.
My only criticism is that I would have liked more accounts from participants, from both sides.
October 4, 2011
Spellbinding and sobering
I've read many of Martin Middlebrook's accounts of the Bomber Command strategic campaign in WW2 and, if he didn't originate the style whereby historical accounts are presented largely through the eyes of the men at the sharp end, he certainly pioneered it. The method relies heavily on first hand accounts from soldiers, sailors or airmen and largely eschews the dry, dusty regurgitation of official documents and recollections from high level staff that kill popular history for the casual reader.
Bishop takes up where Middlebrook left off and turns out a fascinating history of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the RAF's strategic bombing campaign, from the first days of the war to the last, from its darkest hours to its greatest victories. I must say that having read a lot of Middlebrook's work, I was still drawn in to this treatment and while it may not present new material (or even old material in a new way) it is still absorbing, interesting and enjoyable.
The book starts by discussing the way in which the campaign has come in for a lot of criticism, owing to the indiscriminate (even careless) nature of the bombing. It was actually a little surprising to learn that the criticism is nothing new and serious doubts were raised in some quarters before the war was even over. While the author is no revisionist and he is clear in his admiration for the aircrew and their mission (if not the means to the end), he is unstinting in the way he presents the horrors unleashed on the German citizenry and it was actually surprising to me to learn just how many civilians died under RAF bombs and how indiscriminate their use really was.
Nevertheless, this is primarily about the bomber crews themselves and Bishop takes various aspects of their traning, work, lives and deaths and gives each a chapter to itself. This is a nice way of presenting the story and it avoids the trap of interminable detailing of mission after mission that some accounts fall into. Thus, the historicity of the campaign takes second place to the protagonists and that, I believe, is fitting and right.
Spellbinding and sobering, Bomber Boys is a worthy tribute to the men who fought and died on our behalf and were subsequently ignored, chastised or even reviled for their efforts.
I've read many of Martin Middlebrook's accounts of the Bomber Command strategic campaign in WW2 and, if he didn't originate the style whereby historical accounts are presented largely through the eyes of the men at the sharp end, he certainly pioneered it. The method relies heavily on first hand accounts from soldiers, sailors or airmen and largely eschews the dry, dusty regurgitation of official documents and recollections from high level staff that kill popular history for the casual reader.
Bishop takes up where Middlebrook left off and turns out a fascinating history of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the RAF's strategic bombing campaign, from the first days of the war to the last, from its darkest hours to its greatest victories. I must say that having read a lot of Middlebrook's work, I was still drawn in to this treatment and while it may not present new material (or even old material in a new way) it is still absorbing, interesting and enjoyable.
The book starts by discussing the way in which the campaign has come in for a lot of criticism, owing to the indiscriminate (even careless) nature of the bombing. It was actually a little surprising to learn that the criticism is nothing new and serious doubts were raised in some quarters before the war was even over. While the author is no revisionist and he is clear in his admiration for the aircrew and their mission (if not the means to the end), he is unstinting in the way he presents the horrors unleashed on the German citizenry and it was actually surprising to me to learn just how many civilians died under RAF bombs and how indiscriminate their use really was.
Nevertheless, this is primarily about the bomber crews themselves and Bishop takes various aspects of their traning, work, lives and deaths and gives each a chapter to itself. This is a nice way of presenting the story and it avoids the trap of interminable detailing of mission after mission that some accounts fall into. Thus, the historicity of the campaign takes second place to the protagonists and that, I believe, is fitting and right.
Spellbinding and sobering, Bomber Boys is a worthy tribute to the men who fought and died on our behalf and were subsequently ignored, chastised or even reviled for their efforts.
July 11, 2019
An excellent analysis, a wonderful read, and an enthralling style, that is surprising and arresting in equal measure, combining factual research with personal reminiscences and anecdotes. Take this comparison, for an example, of pilots in Fighter as opposed to Bomber Command,
'Flying a big bomber was entirely different from flying a Spitfire or Hurricane. It was the difference, it was sometime said, between sports car and a lorry. A four engined bomber was an immensely complex machine, whose systems need constant checking. It was a responsibility rather than a pleasure. Patience and precision were the qualities needed by a bomber pilot.'
Beautifully crafted sentences and an accurate analysis.
Or when dealing with wartime romance on the aerodromes, he writes, slightly tongue in cheek, I think, but again with great understanding,
'Sex was in the air but when it took place it was often urgent and utilitarian. What they really wanted was love and it flared up often, as fierce and incandescent as the pyrotechnics that marked the targets they bombed. Sometimes it was just as ephemeral.'
A wonderful read, and a great supplement to the oeuvre, especially reminiscent of the seminal work on this subject by Len Deighton, and his wonderful work, 'Bomber'.
And I loved the way Patrick Bishop paid tribute to everyone who was involved in Bomber Command, in whatever capacity,
'Bomber Command grew and grew as the volunteers arrived in numbers that never slackened even during the darkest hours of its campaign. Behind each man flying, there were many more keeping them in the air. They were fitters and riggers, and armourers maintaining the huge aeroplanes. There were WAAFS who drove the crews to their hangers and staffed the operations room when operations were on. There were the women who served them the dinner before they took off, and with luck, their breakfast when they returned home. RAF men met and mingled with local women in dance halls and pubs, flirting with them, sometimes sleeping with them, often marrying them.'
'Flying a big bomber was entirely different from flying a Spitfire or Hurricane. It was the difference, it was sometime said, between sports car and a lorry. A four engined bomber was an immensely complex machine, whose systems need constant checking. It was a responsibility rather than a pleasure. Patience and precision were the qualities needed by a bomber pilot.'
Beautifully crafted sentences and an accurate analysis.
Or when dealing with wartime romance on the aerodromes, he writes, slightly tongue in cheek, I think, but again with great understanding,
'Sex was in the air but when it took place it was often urgent and utilitarian. What they really wanted was love and it flared up often, as fierce and incandescent as the pyrotechnics that marked the targets they bombed. Sometimes it was just as ephemeral.'
A wonderful read, and a great supplement to the oeuvre, especially reminiscent of the seminal work on this subject by Len Deighton, and his wonderful work, 'Bomber'.
And I loved the way Patrick Bishop paid tribute to everyone who was involved in Bomber Command, in whatever capacity,
'Bomber Command grew and grew as the volunteers arrived in numbers that never slackened even during the darkest hours of its campaign. Behind each man flying, there were many more keeping them in the air. They were fitters and riggers, and armourers maintaining the huge aeroplanes. There were WAAFS who drove the crews to their hangers and staffed the operations room when operations were on. There were the women who served them the dinner before they took off, and with luck, their breakfast when they returned home. RAF men met and mingled with local women in dance halls and pubs, flirting with them, sometimes sleeping with them, often marrying them.'
February 25, 2010
This IS an excellent and well researched work, in some ways better than Fighter Boys. Bomber Boys is in many ways a more difficult subject; the job was less 'glamorous' and less 'knightly' than that of the fighters, dare one say more punishing, it was a new style of warfare in relative terms and was of questionable morality, though one could argue about the morality of war anyway. Lastly 'Bomber' Harris was gifted more as an officer than a public relations expert. The book describes the horror that both sides suffered in the bombing of their respective cities as well as getting to the feeling that those on operations felt. Bishop has his technical data well covered and (hindsight is a wonderful thing) explodes the myth, pardon the pun, on what, at the time, was an issue, namely the concepts of precision bombing (for the most part technically not feasible) and concentrating on population centres to erode morale.
If Bishop does not quite rehabilitate Harris, he certainly shows him a commander who stood by his men for as long as he lived and as deserving of the prayers of the Royal Air Force as much as Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC; Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding GCB, GCVO, CMG (another individual who needed a PR agency, and others who did what was necessary to stop Nazism. There is no doubt that as unglamorous as the job was, it was vital at the time. The book pays just tribute to those who served and to those who suffered on both sides.
If Bishop does not quite rehabilitate Harris, he certainly shows him a commander who stood by his men for as long as he lived and as deserving of the prayers of the Royal Air Force as much as Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park GCB, KBE, MC & Bar, DFC; Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding GCB, GCVO, CMG (another individual who needed a PR agency, and others who did what was necessary to stop Nazism. There is no doubt that as unglamorous as the job was, it was vital at the time. The book pays just tribute to those who served and to those who suffered on both sides.
October 8, 2015
I found Patrick Bishop’s superbly written Bomber Boys: Fighting Back, 1940–1945 to be a riveting and sensitive account of the brave men in Britain’s Royal Air Force Bomber Command and the risks they took (often ending in their injury or death) to help end World War II in Europe. Bishop describes the major RAF air campaigns against Nazi Germany, often at great length (Cologne, Hamburg, Dresden among the most lurid), both from the perspective of the airmen (nearly a half million) and from the millions who were their victims. The tragic toll of dead and wounded combatants and civilians (including residents of Great Britain) from aerial bombardments boggled my mind, especially as I learned that by the end of 1943 the notion of proportionality with respect to civilian casualties (a grizzly quid pro quo) had disappeared by the end of 1943 and grew ever stronger in the Allies’ favor. Bishop points out that the airmen of the RAF, almost to a man, were convinced of the correctness of their wartime mission, as it was explained to them, to hasten Germany’s surrender. Of course it took boots on the ground from June 1944 onwards to move that into high gear, but punching holes in the roof of Adolf Hitler’s Thousand Year Reich and laying waste to manufacturing and population centers inside its walls were strategic components in defeating the enemy in May 1945. Sadly for the “bomber boys” their wartime contribution faded from national memory. This fine book aims to reverse that.
May 24, 2019
The East of England from Yorkshire Riding south to Suffolk is sprinkled with the triangular patterned airfields from which Bomber Command operated. This is the book to read if you are curious to learn about what happened there. Like Len Deighton's Bomber it throws light onto the daily lives of the bomber crews and how they worked and lived together. But there is much less about the Germans whose job it was to stop the raids or to manage the loss of life and destruction they caused. Instead Bishop describes the high level strategy of bomber command and its contribution to the eventual victory over Europe. As with the Blitz in British cities, there was little weakening of the resolve of the German people. However, there was certainly a reallocation of scarce German resources to counter the Allied bombing which weakened the German military machine in other theatres of war.
Bishop describes the boost in morale brought by Bomber Command particularly in 1941-1942 when Britain was fighting largely alone, and losing; the scale and effect are hard to judge. As often the case with historical events, cause and effect are hard to disentangle given a complex web of interactions. So the hard questions investigated in Bomber Boys remain without a clear answer: whether the human sacrifice was justified, whether it accelerated the end of the war and whether the British bombing campaign breached standards of morality . What is clear is the heroism of this volunteer group of young men, who had no illusions about their slender chances of survival. We are left feeling that the strength of their conviction and determination was exemplary by any standard, past or present.
Bishop describes the boost in morale brought by Bomber Command particularly in 1941-1942 when Britain was fighting largely alone, and losing; the scale and effect are hard to judge. As often the case with historical events, cause and effect are hard to disentangle given a complex web of interactions. So the hard questions investigated in Bomber Boys remain without a clear answer: whether the human sacrifice was justified, whether it accelerated the end of the war and whether the British bombing campaign breached standards of morality . What is clear is the heroism of this volunteer group of young men, who had no illusions about their slender chances of survival. We are left feeling that the strength of their conviction and determination was exemplary by any standard, past or present.
January 10, 2025
Top draw
May 12, 2021
This was a pretty interesting read. The author does a terrific job giving you a feel for the complete picture of what life was like for RAF Bomber crews. When I say "complete", I mean a chapter-by-chapter discussion on:
- Why individuals signed up
- Training
- Initial missions
- Fear and cracking up
- Experience on missions
- Down time
- POW time
- Love lives
- De-mobbing
- Technological improvements
Plus, a general narrative of the course of the Bomber Offensive from 1939 right up to the end. This included the disastrous period of 1939-43 when raids had unsustainable casualties and very little to show for it. Bomber Command chief Harris comes in for the usual criticism over his strategy and tactics but Bishop treats this in a fair-minded way and lets the reader decide whether Harris's approach was the best available given the resources and technology.
Bishop also does a good job explaining why Bomber Command did not get the same heroes' accolades as Fighter Command. Hint - the relentless flattening of German cities in 1944-45 and accompanying civilian casualties without ever bringing about a collapse of German will as Harris so often had promised.
Reading it, you will be reminded over and over that operational casualties over the course of the war were greater than 50% of crews deployed. The odds of surviving a tour were low, really low. Death was capricious, one's skill level seemed to have little effect.
The book is told through a wealth of first person accounts, leavened with Bishop's analysis. Thought-provoking and consistently interesting.
- Why individuals signed up
- Training
- Initial missions
- Fear and cracking up
- Experience on missions
- Down time
- POW time
- Love lives
- De-mobbing
- Technological improvements
Plus, a general narrative of the course of the Bomber Offensive from 1939 right up to the end. This included the disastrous period of 1939-43 when raids had unsustainable casualties and very little to show for it. Bomber Command chief Harris comes in for the usual criticism over his strategy and tactics but Bishop treats this in a fair-minded way and lets the reader decide whether Harris's approach was the best available given the resources and technology.
Bishop also does a good job explaining why Bomber Command did not get the same heroes' accolades as Fighter Command. Hint - the relentless flattening of German cities in 1944-45 and accompanying civilian casualties without ever bringing about a collapse of German will as Harris so often had promised.
Reading it, you will be reminded over and over that operational casualties over the course of the war were greater than 50% of crews deployed. The odds of surviving a tour were low, really low. Death was capricious, one's skill level seemed to have little effect.
The book is told through a wealth of first person accounts, leavened with Bishop's analysis. Thought-provoking and consistently interesting.
July 6, 2022
I've previously read Bishop's Fighter Boys that painted a realistic portrait of the fighter pilots of the Battle of Britain and thoroughly enjoyed it. This book seemed a more significant work dealing, as it does, with the still contraversial bombing campaign of Bomber Command but doing so in a way that draws out all the nuances of the morals, the sacrifices of the crews, the idea of revenge for the blitz being repaid many fold, the single minded approach of Bomber Harris, the suffering of the German civilians and the way that a veil was drawn over this massive part of the war effort in the joy of victory. This was a joy to read: informed, informative, intensively researched and adding human touches all the way through including touching love affairs with doomed bomber crews. Some of the most memorable passages dealt with the fear of the crews which, given their chances of surviving a tour of duty were of the order of 8%, was intense - genuine psychological trauma being treated as 'lacking moral fibre' i.e. cowardice. I was especially touched by one airman's description over the target of an eery red glow and then saw a Lancaster 'on fire from end to end' slowly start to lose height - no doubt with seven burning bodies inside - horrifying. Since this book was written it is fitting that there is now a memorial to Bomber Command although it took over 60 years after the war for this to happen, a reflection of the contrast between the morally ambiguous bombing campaign and the unambiguous dashing defenders of the country in the Battle of Britain. A rare five stars from me.
September 5, 2025
This is a fascinating look at the lives of the young men who were the pilots of the bomber command during WWI.
They came from all walks of life and for the duration of the war worked as one, became friends and were basically responsible as a unit for each others lives.
Yet they got little acclaim or gratitude for what they did, only appreciated during wartime and the heat of battle.
Afterwards they were a thing of shame and neglected and ignored.
They carried out their duties rightly or wrongly, people forget they were following orders during wartime.
Ostracised in later years due to bad mistakes and decisions from above and the destruction and lives it cost.
This sheds light on that time and the whole history of these brave men.
They came from all walks of life and for the duration of the war worked as one, became friends and were basically responsible as a unit for each others lives.
Yet they got little acclaim or gratitude for what they did, only appreciated during wartime and the heat of battle.
Afterwards they were a thing of shame and neglected and ignored.
They carried out their duties rightly or wrongly, people forget they were following orders during wartime.
Ostracised in later years due to bad mistakes and decisions from above and the destruction and lives it cost.
This sheds light on that time and the whole history of these brave men.
August 16, 2020
I was lucky enough to have been to a talk by several members of Bomber Command a few years ago, so always wanted to know more about the young men who volunteered for the most dangerous role in WW2. Rather than just an account of the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, this book is more personal. It covers the experiences of the Bomber Boys from recruitment onwards through training, operations, love, loss, death and survival. Whilst some may still see bomber crews in a bad light, waging a campaign as "terrorfliegers", this book will change your mind and see them as the heroes they really were.
March 20, 2025
An interesting social history of the “Bomber Boys”, the men of RAF’s Bomber Command. Bishop mostly offers a chronological study. From the early disorganised attempts to take the fight to the enemy to the final well-oiled, massed fire-bombing attacks in the final months of the war. The story is at its most powerful when bringing in historical testimony - the voices of the veterans, particularly the letters of those lost in action. Bishop’s critique of Churchill, Portal and others who distanced themselves from the actions of the veterans is also particularly damning. Having previously read “Fighter Boys”, this is a far grittier read. Recommended!
October 18, 2022
An interesting read but it really dragged on. Towards the end I was skimming through. It was good to learn about the topic but a thorough edit could of helped both the structure and quantity of material.
May 21, 2018
Excellent book, have learnt so much!
November 27, 2019
The forgotten heroes lost to history behind their fighter brethren. Read it!
December 1, 2020
Obviously fabulously well researched but after 160 of 395 pages I didn't see anything new coming so gave up.
April 21, 2010
Bomber Harris I'd heard of, but I knew little, if anything about the men under his command. This book puts that straight. It is written about those who actually flew, the pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, rear gunners. Most of the recollections are take from their letters. This is because the Bomber Boys formed the front line of WWII. That meant the death rate was appalling. You cannot get away from the sense of loss - although there is a chapter dedicated to death the spectre of it is on almost every page.
We are taken from the start of the war, through the volunteers (all of them were, even if they'd been conscripted) selection and early training. The RAF mechanism for putting crews together - not what you'd expect. On to the operational flights, problems with the aircraft, and good things about the aircraft. Here some of the main characters begin to appear.
In later chapters their friendships are examined, in particular their loyalty to their crew. A special closeness develops very quickly when under fire from flak and fighters in the dark at 15,000 feet., Their personal relationship are also covered and some time is spent on war time romances. Some of these come from letters kept by girlfriends for the remainder of their lives.
For the most part the Bomber Boys believed in what they were doing, even though they were regularly the target of propaganda, they were not so easily fooled. That Nazi Germany was waging total war, and the combined efforts of the Allies were only just enough to turn the tide. So when you hear about Dresden, don't only think in terms of revenge for Coventry, remember that when the raid was made it was not clear that the war had only months to run.
I bought this book towards the end of my unemployment in 2008, and have just finished reading it. Without that episode I would never have considered such a topic. I'm glad I did. It is not an easy read - you just start to get to know someone only to hear they have been killed, or are 'missing', or taken prisoner. Patrick Bishop has done a brilliant job of bringing the Bomber Boys to life, and latterly showing how little their achievements and sacrifice have been officially recognised.
There is only really one criticism. The campaigns, or battles, for the Rhur, Berlin, Hambourg etc are spread throughout the book and it is a little difficult to keep current with just where we are in the war as the topics change. However there are extensive indexes, references., plane schematics and the like to keep you busy once the reading is done.
The main part of the book ends with:
Went the day well,
We died and never knew,
But well or ill, Freedom,
We died for you.
--- which Oh, so many of them did.
We are taken from the start of the war, through the volunteers (all of them were, even if they'd been conscripted) selection and early training. The RAF mechanism for putting crews together - not what you'd expect. On to the operational flights, problems with the aircraft, and good things about the aircraft. Here some of the main characters begin to appear.
In later chapters their friendships are examined, in particular their loyalty to their crew. A special closeness develops very quickly when under fire from flak and fighters in the dark at 15,000 feet., Their personal relationship are also covered and some time is spent on war time romances. Some of these come from letters kept by girlfriends for the remainder of their lives.
For the most part the Bomber Boys believed in what they were doing, even though they were regularly the target of propaganda, they were not so easily fooled. That Nazi Germany was waging total war, and the combined efforts of the Allies were only just enough to turn the tide. So when you hear about Dresden, don't only think in terms of revenge for Coventry, remember that when the raid was made it was not clear that the war had only months to run.
I bought this book towards the end of my unemployment in 2008, and have just finished reading it. Without that episode I would never have considered such a topic. I'm glad I did. It is not an easy read - you just start to get to know someone only to hear they have been killed, or are 'missing', or taken prisoner. Patrick Bishop has done a brilliant job of bringing the Bomber Boys to life, and latterly showing how little their achievements and sacrifice have been officially recognised.
There is only really one criticism. The campaigns, or battles, for the Rhur, Berlin, Hambourg etc are spread throughout the book and it is a little difficult to keep current with just where we are in the war as the topics change. However there are extensive indexes, references., plane schematics and the like to keep you busy once the reading is done.
The main part of the book ends with:
Went the day well,
We died and never knew,
But well or ill, Freedom,
We died for you.
--- which Oh, so many of them did.
October 16, 2011
Sometimes it is amazing to see the differences between how different people (or peoples) see the same events. Like his earlier book Fighter Boys Patrick Bishop tells Bomber Boys from a British perspective and for a British audience. However, I was well aware of the great stories and mythos of Fighter Command and the Battle of Britain. That quintessentially British story had been transported across the pond with only changes to vocabulary.
I didn't even realize how unfamiliar I was with the story of RAF Bomber Command. I had assumed that the RAF's strategic bombing campaign was held in the same generally high esteem in the UK as the strategic efforts of the Eighth Air Force are held in the US. Apparently, this was a very false assumption.
While the public in the US debated the efficacy and ethics of dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the British public debated (or ignored) the ethics and efficacy of the entire area-bombing effort against Germany.
I don't think this is the book to truly explore these issues. It is a history of the people who flew the planes, not an operational history or philosophical treatise. Bishop assumes the audience has been following these discussions and avoids making a ruling on either ethics or ultimate cost/benefit analysis.
The ultimate difference in how the US and the UK welcomed their Bomber Boys home rests on the fact that the British had suffered under a bombardment of their own. People don't like being bombed, ergo people who have been bombed, don't like bombers.
I think I just added another month or so until I can face the volume on my shelf addressing the campaign from the German pespective.
I didn't even realize how unfamiliar I was with the story of RAF Bomber Command. I had assumed that the RAF's strategic bombing campaign was held in the same generally high esteem in the UK as the strategic efforts of the Eighth Air Force are held in the US. Apparently, this was a very false assumption.
While the public in the US debated the efficacy and ethics of dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the British public debated (or ignored) the ethics and efficacy of the entire area-bombing effort against Germany.
I don't think this is the book to truly explore these issues. It is a history of the people who flew the planes, not an operational history or philosophical treatise. Bishop assumes the audience has been following these discussions and avoids making a ruling on either ethics or ultimate cost/benefit analysis.
The ultimate difference in how the US and the UK welcomed their Bomber Boys home rests on the fact that the British had suffered under a bombardment of their own. People don't like being bombed, ergo people who have been bombed, don't like bombers.
I think I just added another month or so until I can face the volume on my shelf addressing the campaign from the German pespective.
March 23, 2013
"Bomber Boys" tells the story of RAF Bomber Command throughout the Second World War.
Bishop offers a sympathetic view of the boys (and often they really were little more than that) who flew the Stirlings, Wellingtons, Manchesters, Halifaxs, Lancasters and Mosquitos and took the war to the enemy when there was no other way to do so. He does not, however, attempt to gloss over the reality of what a bombing war entails.
He examines the controversy that surrounds the "area bombing" tactics of "Bomber" Harris,and contrasts them with the so-called "precision" tactics of the USAAF in Europe.(The USAAF area bombed precision targets, while the RAF precision bombed area targets, seems to be his conclusion) and he does not duck the issues surrounding the destruction of cities like Dresden and Munich.
But equally he evokes the spirit of the men who - night after night after night - climbed aboard their planes and flew over enemy territory to carry out the mission they had been allocated. Men who knew that everytime they did so they were quite likely to be killed, and that they had no effective defence against the night fighters which lay in wait.
This is a meticulously researched work of history, and ought to be required reading for everyone. Fighter command got all the glory after the war - but for sheer dogged courage the real heroes were in Bomber Command. It's a terrible shame that so many people have forgotten this.
Bishop offers a sympathetic view of the boys (and often they really were little more than that) who flew the Stirlings, Wellingtons, Manchesters, Halifaxs, Lancasters and Mosquitos and took the war to the enemy when there was no other way to do so. He does not, however, attempt to gloss over the reality of what a bombing war entails.
He examines the controversy that surrounds the "area bombing" tactics of "Bomber" Harris,and contrasts them with the so-called "precision" tactics of the USAAF in Europe.(The USAAF area bombed precision targets, while the RAF precision bombed area targets, seems to be his conclusion) and he does not duck the issues surrounding the destruction of cities like Dresden and Munich.
But equally he evokes the spirit of the men who - night after night after night - climbed aboard their planes and flew over enemy territory to carry out the mission they had been allocated. Men who knew that everytime they did so they were quite likely to be killed, and that they had no effective defence against the night fighters which lay in wait.
This is a meticulously researched work of history, and ought to be required reading for everyone. Fighter command got all the glory after the war - but for sheer dogged courage the real heroes were in Bomber Command. It's a terrible shame that so many people have forgotten this.
February 7, 2017
The author writes well but I don't find the subject matter to be all that interesting. The author focused more on personal narratives and anecdotes than the actual historical events and raids. There is a need for both parts to be given in order to fully present a complete picture of what happened but I would have preferred more historical narrative. I understand the author is English and at times it was a bit difficult to understand the British English he uses.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading the book.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading the book.
June 25, 2011
A history of RAF Bomber Command during WWII with a particular emphasis on life for the bomber crews themselves. Much of the detail of their lives comes in their own words, either interviews or letters and paints a fascinating picture of life on operations and on base. The book also describes the changes in technology and strategy throughout the war and how these affected the men and their operations.
The issue of area bombing is not ignored, but neither is the desperation felt by the Allies in the early years of the war nor the desire for retaliation after German bombing raids, the book does not make out the dilemmas faced were as straightforward as hindsight would have us believe.
The issue of area bombing is not ignored, but neither is the desperation felt by the Allies in the early years of the war nor the desire for retaliation after German bombing raids, the book does not make out the dilemmas faced were as straightforward as hindsight would have us believe.
August 26, 2009
Bomber Boys does not come across as a unique book, however in documenting the trials, tribulations and dramas of the RAF (and to a certain extent, USAF) bombing campaign against Germany. With fluent, factual information throughout, Bomber Boys is a great read. Perhaps my only criticism of it would be its often repetitive nature - Bishop tends in some instances to make a point then repeat it several times to no apparent effect. Otherwise, however, Bomber Boys is an excellent testament to the flyboys of the RAF during WWII.
September 4, 2012
I read most of this book while I was flying, which looking back does seem a bit strange. It's a topic I have read about before and as usual it's the stories of the individuals that I enjoy most.
The way that the book is broken into sections doesn't seem to quite work but thinking about it, not quite sure how I would of done it differently.
The way that the book is broken into sections doesn't seem to quite work but thinking about it, not quite sure how I would of done it differently.
August 21, 2015
I liked this more than I expected to, in large part because the author is not an apologist for area bombing. Instead he focuses on the men who, sometimes reluctantly, but always bravely, did their duty. All in all, a rather judicious and highly informative work.
June 30, 2010
Still reading... good so far :)
February 21, 2010
A fascinating insight into the daily lives of RAF aircrew in WW2
July 23, 2011
Excellent historical and personal insight into the thoughts of those involved with the RAF bombing campaign throughout the Second World War considering the political and social impacts that it had.
September 18, 2011
Read straight after Fighter Boys and it's more of the same. Really well written, researched and not too heavy on the historical quotations. Makes it easy to read like a novel. Very moving story.
September 28, 2011
Fascinating read, and very well written.
March 25, 2017
A great insight on the Bomber Command (Uk) during the Second World War. There were many details I never knew before and it was a big help for research I needed.
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