The Blockade Breakers: The Berlin Airlift

by Helena P. Schrader

The Berlin Airlift represents one of the most dramatic humanitarian efforts of the postwar era and was a strikingly successful example of British and American cooperation. It was also an event that made a major contribution towards turning a wartime enemy into a Cold War ally. Helena Schrader commemorates the “Blockade Breakers” of the Berlin Airlift and the impact they had on Allied-German relations in this thoroughly-researched study. The book recreates the excitement and tension of the period by reminding the reader that the success of the Airlift was by no means a foregone conclusion. At the core of the book are two themes: the enormous logistical challenges posed by the Airlift, and the complicated relationship between Berliners and the Western Allies. It focuses on the human, political, economic, and technological perspectives and includes a wealth of first-hand accounts from British, American, German, and Russian sources.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

Dr. Helena P. Schrader is a highly acclaimed author with a remarkable portfolio of six critically acclaimed non-fiction history books and twenty historical novels. A testament to her storytelling prowess, twelve of her novels have earned one or more prestigious literary awards, with three titles achieving Amazon best-selling status.

Helena's deep historical insight stems from her PhD in history from the University of Hamburg, where her ground-breaking biography of a leader of the German Resistance to Hitler earned her doctorate. Her rich experiences also include a distinguished career as an American diplomat in Europe and Africa.

Her expertise spans critical historical periods and subjects, including:

Aviation

The Second World War

Ancient Sparta

The Crusader States

Award Highlights:

Helena's dedication to historical accuracy and compelling narratives has been recognized with numerous accolades:

"Cold Peace" Won the Independent Press Award for Political Thrillers 2024 and was "Runner-Up for BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023" from the Historical Fiction Company

"Moral Fibre" won GOLD in the Global Book Awards for 20th Century Historical Fiction 2024

"Where Eagles Never Flew" won the Hemingway Award for 20th Century Wartime Fiction from Chanticleer International Book Awards 2021

"Envoy of Jerusalem": Book Excellence Award for Best Biography 2017.

As the highly respected Feathered Quill Reviews noted: "Helena Schrader’s in-depth stories, fantastic characters, and ability to write an unforgettable tale make her one of the best authors out there!”

For a comprehensive list of awards and more information, please visit her author website.

Reviews

[Mark Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended!

I had never read into the subject of the Airlift, but this has book has inspired me to further my studies in this field.

The Author provided a balanced, and considered appraisal of the Airlift, from its' inception through to termination, punctuated by a thoroughly-researched political and economic narrative which in turn, amply demonstrates the origins of the Cold War and partitioning of Germany. The Author's account of the moral, and mechanical challenges of supplying war-torn Berlin by air demonstrates the genuine unity amongst the allies to prevent any further degradation of a former enemy in the face of an ascendant ideological enemy in the context of the Soviet Union.


The book is remarkable in that it identifies how formers Allies became embittered enemies in the face of the attempted Soviet land-grab, and asset stripping of a vanquished foe, whom had earlier outraged the World with the horror of it's Nazi indulgences.


A fantastic read which demonstrates how close the World came to a re-ignition of hostilities.

[Lesley-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, interesting and informative. Would highly recommend this book for people interested in the beginning of the Cold War.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm happy to rate this as 5* as the subject is an important one, its significance neglected and the scholarship here is impressive. (I ignore the misprints and mis-spellings that crop up, as well as the few howlers I spotted, including referring to the wartime leader as Sir Winston, some 10 years before he was actually knighted.) The history of the airlift is dealt with meticulously and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the Cold War.

[Stephen Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, absorbing account of events back in 1948 when the city of Berlin, home to over two million people, was effectively besieged by surrounding Soviet Russian forces. The only means open to the British and USA allies was to fly in essential supplies. So airmen, who three years previously were attempting to bomb Germany into submission, were now providing the means of survival. The book not only clearly describes the actual logistics of the 'Berlin Airlift' but gives, alongside it, the human dimension of those ten tense months before the blockade was eventually lifted.