Bombers: From the First World War to Kosovo [Hardcover]

David Wragg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000 | ISBN-10: 0750920904 | ISBN-13: 978-0750920902 | Edition: illustrated edition

The role of the bomber has proved to be one of the most controversial aspects of 20th-century warfare. This book tells the story of the bomber with a blend of narrative and personal accounts, recording the history of the principal bombing raids and those who flew them. Beginning with an overview of the origins of the concept of aerial bombardment, this account goes on to the early raids of World War I - including Zeppelin airship and bomber operations over Britain and RFC attacks on German targets - and the use of the bomber between the wars by the Germans in the Spanish Civil War, the Italians in Abyssinia and by the Japanese in China. World War II marked the massive deployment of the bomber by the main combatants as a major tactical and strategic weapon. Bringing this study up to date, David Wragg examies the US' bombing campaign in Vietnam in the 1960s, the Gulf War and the 1999 campaign in former Yugoslavia.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Wragg is the author of 14 aviation books, including Plan Z: The Nazi Bid for Naval Dominance and "Sink the French!": At War with an Ally 1940.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sutton Pub Ltd; illustrated edition edition (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750920904
• ISBN-13: 978-0750920902
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,769,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Only Fair, February 18, 2003

By 

Earl Swinhart (LIVERMORE, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bombers: From the First World War to Kosovo (Hardcover)

This book starts in 1914 at the beginning of WWI and runs through some of the very latest bomber aircraft. So the reader would naturally expect very little mention of the American effort prior to about 1942.

But the book appears to be about how the Brits (almost single-handedly) won WWI, WWII and most other conflagrations since. The reader is confronted with page after page of pictures of such duds as Halifax and Hampden bombers, with fairly minute details about them. Then, (sprinkled amongst the Bristol Blenheims and Fairey Battles) a few pictures of the B-26, B-17 and one or two of the B-29.

The research is equally dismal, at least as far as the American contribution. Specifications on the few American aircraft author David Wragg does mention leaves much to be desired. His details on some of the American bombing missions both in Europe and the Pacific are equally disappointing.
One of the most famous names of the Battle of Midway was pilot Ensign George Gay. Mister Wragg repeatedly refers to Gay as "Ensign Gray".

The book is fairly entertaining if you want to read about (mainly) British contributions to aerial warfare, and you don't care about the accuracy of his references to American accomplishments.