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The First Blitz in 100 Objects
A visual history of this forgotten WWI bombing campaign: "A fantastic book. Remnants of stained glass windows, grocery shop scales . . . and so much more." --War History Online
The First World War ushered in many new and increasingly deadly weapons and strategies--none more so than Germany's sustained aerial bombing campaign against Britain, which opened an entirely new theatre of war--the Home Front. It was a shocking awakening to twentieth-century warfare for the military and civilians alike.
There are still fascinating glimpses of this first air campaign, long overshadowed by the Blitz of World War II--to be found in the streets of British towns and cities. Often unnoticed, each tells its own dramatic tale of death and destruction, or maybe of heroism and narrow escapes. Museums hold tantalizing reminders of the air raids, from complete aircraft that defended the country to relics of great Zeppelins that initially brought terror to the British population but ultimately were doomed to become nothing more than great heaps of burnt and twisted wreckage. This first-time assault from the air both terrified and fascinated citizens--and unexpectedly, a significant trade in air raid souvenirs developed, from postcards of wrecked houses and bomb craters to china models of Zeppelins and their bombs and pieces of Zeppelin wreckage. And among the 100 Objects brought together in this book, there can also be found tales of resilience, humor, and determination--which all have their place in the story of this First Blitz
The First World War ushered in many new and increasingly deadly weapons and strategies--none more so than Germany's sustained aerial bombing campaign against Britain, which opened an entirely new theatre of war--the Home Front. It was a shocking awakening to twentieth-century warfare for the military and civilians alike.
There are still fascinating glimpses of this first air campaign, long overshadowed by the Blitz of World War II--to be found in the streets of British towns and cities. Often unnoticed, each tells its own dramatic tale of death and destruction, or maybe of heroism and narrow escapes. Museums hold tantalizing reminders of the air raids, from complete aircraft that defended the country to relics of great Zeppelins that initially brought terror to the British population but ultimately were doomed to become nothing more than great heaps of burnt and twisted wreckage. This first-time assault from the air both terrified and fascinated citizens--and unexpectedly, a significant trade in air raid souvenirs developed, from postcards of wrecked houses and bomb craters to china models of Zeppelins and their bombs and pieces of Zeppelin wreckage. And among the 100 Objects brought together in this book, there can also be found tales of resilience, humor, and determination--which all have their place in the story of this First Blitz
261 pages, ebook
Published May 19, 2020
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About the author
Ian Castle
37 books4 followersIan Castle began writing military history some thirty years ago but for the last ten years has focused on Germany’s First World War air raids against Britain. Initially exploring the London raids, his later research extended to include attacks across the whole country. In addition to writing books, Ian regularly contributes articles to magazines and journals and has been involved in a number of television documentaries detailing this early air campaign. Besides giving regular talks on the subject, Ian is also building an extensive website highlighting these early air raids.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 9, 2021
A little more than a decade ago Neil MacGregor launched a trend in publishing with his book A History of the World in 100 Objects. By using a selection of items from the collection held by the British Museum (of which he was the director) he showed how material objects could unlock the past and help us understand the people who created them. The popularity of his approach quickly triggered a veritable avalanche of works that sought to tell the history of everything from the Catholic Church to cricket through the artifacts they produced.
In this respect Ian Castle’s book is a relatively late addition to the genre. It’s not even the first such book that seeks to tell the story of the First World War through its artifacts, having been preceded by Gary Sheffield's The First World War in 100 Objects: The Story of the Great War Told Through the Objects that Shaped It and Peter Doyle's The First World War in 100 Objects. What sets Castle’s work apart from theirs is his focus on just one part of the war, specifically the German bombing campaign against Britain. Starting with items as humble as a pair of airship girders (one of duralumin, the other of plywood) he details how the items selected reveal the history of the battle to terrorize Britain from the air.
While Castle presents the objects chronologically, the items he features can be grouped into one of four categories. The first and most obvious of these are the artifacts of the air war itself. These range from surviving bombs and items worn by pilots and crewmembers to anti-aircraft guns and airplanes. Related to this are the artifacts of the damage caused by the campaign, which includes sites which today still bear the signs of bombing. While occasionally this damage was memorialized, gravesites and other markers recounting the history of the campaign were erected, and comprise a third category. The final one consists of the cultural items created by the campaign, such as medals and souvenirs produced by both sides that also serve to convey their interpretations of the campaign.
Through these, Castle constructs a fascinating collage of the campaign. What stands out most is the sheer novelty of aerial warfare, and how both sides adapted to it. This adaptation was as much cultural as it was military, and reflected the public’s adjustment to an unprecedented danger. With the civilian population in Britain under direct threat from a foreign power for the first time in nearly 250 years the zeppelins soon proved more of a novelty than anything else. Attacked towns often experienced a flood of tourists, as curious Britons flocked to gape at the damage done by the attacks. Among the most fascinating items Castle features is the commemorative china offering miniature replicas of the zeppelins and their bombs stamped with the crests of the communities attacked. Trivializing the bombings through commercialization probably wasn’t the reaction the Germans were anticipating.
These were far from the only artifacts created by the campaign, however. Destroyed zeppelins often were stripped by locals and refashioned into mementos of the event. Memorials to the attacks also were established, noting the impact points of bombs and the lives lost to them. And the efforts to defeat the German campaign led to the reshaping of the landscape, from specially-built gun positions to “sound mirrors” designed to improve detection times of approaching aircraft, some of which survive down to the present day. Castle describes each of these objects and the roles they played, yet in doing so his focus never strays from the people who created, used, or were affected by them. The stories told in the book are as much their own as they are of the campaign more generally, showing how their lives were shaped by the war happening around them.
By focusing on the artifacts it produced, Castle features elements into the story of the bombing campaign that are often left out from most histories of it. He is aided considerably in this regard by a generous use of photographs of both the objects themselves and the lives of the people intertwined with them. Together it makes for a visually appealing book that serves as a fine history of the “First Blitz” and an interesting look at the physical legacy of it that survives to this day.
In this respect Ian Castle’s book is a relatively late addition to the genre. It’s not even the first such book that seeks to tell the story of the First World War through its artifacts, having been preceded by Gary Sheffield's The First World War in 100 Objects: The Story of the Great War Told Through the Objects that Shaped It and Peter Doyle's The First World War in 100 Objects. What sets Castle’s work apart from theirs is his focus on just one part of the war, specifically the German bombing campaign against Britain. Starting with items as humble as a pair of airship girders (one of duralumin, the other of plywood) he details how the items selected reveal the history of the battle to terrorize Britain from the air.
While Castle presents the objects chronologically, the items he features can be grouped into one of four categories. The first and most obvious of these are the artifacts of the air war itself. These range from surviving bombs and items worn by pilots and crewmembers to anti-aircraft guns and airplanes. Related to this are the artifacts of the damage caused by the campaign, which includes sites which today still bear the signs of bombing. While occasionally this damage was memorialized, gravesites and other markers recounting the history of the campaign were erected, and comprise a third category. The final one consists of the cultural items created by the campaign, such as medals and souvenirs produced by both sides that also serve to convey their interpretations of the campaign.
Through these, Castle constructs a fascinating collage of the campaign. What stands out most is the sheer novelty of aerial warfare, and how both sides adapted to it. This adaptation was as much cultural as it was military, and reflected the public’s adjustment to an unprecedented danger. With the civilian population in Britain under direct threat from a foreign power for the first time in nearly 250 years the zeppelins soon proved more of a novelty than anything else. Attacked towns often experienced a flood of tourists, as curious Britons flocked to gape at the damage done by the attacks. Among the most fascinating items Castle features is the commemorative china offering miniature replicas of the zeppelins and their bombs stamped with the crests of the communities attacked. Trivializing the bombings through commercialization probably wasn’t the reaction the Germans were anticipating.
These were far from the only artifacts created by the campaign, however. Destroyed zeppelins often were stripped by locals and refashioned into mementos of the event. Memorials to the attacks also were established, noting the impact points of bombs and the lives lost to them. And the efforts to defeat the German campaign led to the reshaping of the landscape, from specially-built gun positions to “sound mirrors” designed to improve detection times of approaching aircraft, some of which survive down to the present day. Castle describes each of these objects and the roles they played, yet in doing so his focus never strays from the people who created, used, or were affected by them. The stories told in the book are as much their own as they are of the campaign more generally, showing how their lives were shaped by the war happening around them.
By focusing on the artifacts it produced, Castle features elements into the story of the bombing campaign that are often left out from most histories of it. He is aided considerably in this regard by a generous use of photographs of both the objects themselves and the lives of the people intertwined with them. Together it makes for a visually appealing book that serves as a fine history of the “First Blitz” and an interesting look at the physical legacy of it that survives to this day.
March 20, 2020
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Review to be added to Amazon US on 2nd June 2020!
I love books like this one, I am a massive fan of the amount that can be crammed in and the way that the different items are showcased. They are ideal springboards for the reader to use to find out more on different items, and topics and I love the cover of this one - it gives a little sneak peek of some of the items that will be discussed.
I read this book over the course of a few days, dipping in and out and loved it. The book covers the First Blitz, it's impact on the general public and how Britain fought against the Zeppelin raiders.
I loved that the author had completed a lot of personal research and that he knew a lot about the items to give them their backstories and to bring them to life.
There were some great photos that went with the stories to show things such as the devastation that occurred when some of the bombs dropped. There are a few before, and after shots included and it definitely gives you food for thought. As they really had very little idea as to where they were when they dropped their bombs it could have been even worse for Britain with many more casualties.
It is 5 stars from me for this one, I thought it was a superb book and I devoured it from cover to cover. Full of facts, colourful images and it was a delight to read - a great way to introduce some lesser known items too - very highly recommended!
Review to be added to Amazon US on 2nd June 2020!
I love books like this one, I am a massive fan of the amount that can be crammed in and the way that the different items are showcased. They are ideal springboards for the reader to use to find out more on different items, and topics and I love the cover of this one - it gives a little sneak peek of some of the items that will be discussed.
I read this book over the course of a few days, dipping in and out and loved it. The book covers the First Blitz, it's impact on the general public and how Britain fought against the Zeppelin raiders.
I loved that the author had completed a lot of personal research and that he knew a lot about the items to give them their backstories and to bring them to life.
There were some great photos that went with the stories to show things such as the devastation that occurred when some of the bombs dropped. There are a few before, and after shots included and it definitely gives you food for thought. As they really had very little idea as to where they were when they dropped their bombs it could have been even worse for Britain with many more casualties.
It is 5 stars from me for this one, I thought it was a superb book and I devoured it from cover to cover. Full of facts, colourful images and it was a delight to read - a great way to introduce some lesser known items too - very highly recommended!
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