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The First Day of the Blitz: September 7, 1940 Paperback – November 18, 2008

by Peter Stansky (Author)

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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 concludes: both the effectiveness of modern terror and its ultimate failure are made powerfully clear by the events of September 7, 1940.

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"'Stansky makes well-judged use of eyewitness accounts to highlight the reality behind the myth. Nick Rennison, The Sunday Times 'He offers a vivid account of how Londoners withstood attack. Recent events have shown how that resilient spirit lives into our own day. William Hay, Literary Review 'There is no shortage of books about the Blitz, but Peter Stansky's is up there with the best.' John O'Connell, Time Out"

About the Author

Peter Stansky is Frances and Charles Field Professor of History, Emeritus, Stanford University.

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Yale University Press (November 18, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0300143354
ISBN-13: 978-0300143355
Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.8 x 7.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 2 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #268,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #513 in Books > History > Military > Aviation
- #871 in Books > History > Europe > Germany
- #1610 in Books > History > Europe > Great Britain

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About the Blitz

Bygoodfruiton April 17, 2012

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Disappointing, this subject held so much potential but is so pedantic as to be almost un-readable. There is no fault here with the research or the information, just with how its written up and presented.

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cultural history of a military event

ByConcordon January 5, 2009

Format: Paperback

This book goes beyond other histories of the Blitz that I have read. It is essentially a history of how the British people--well, Londoners really--reacted to the first massive bombing raid of the Blitz that targeted the city of London. As such, we don't get up in the air with the RAF and the Luftwaffe, but instead see how the people on the receiving end dealt with--successfully or less bravely--a massive case of terror bombing.

The book, therefore, raises interesting questions about the ability of any terror campaign to successfully cow a broad population. The events of September 2001 are not far from Stansky's mind here, and I think his conclusions are persuasive and relevent to today. In the end, I think that the author strikes a sound balance between heroic narratives that have previously suggested that Londoners reacted with universal aplumb and the more recent suggestions that all of that was patriotic twaddle and that the "real" story was of cowardice and looting. Londoners here come through as real people, with understandable reactions.

One more point. Finally, someone has suggested to me a plausible answer to why Britain turned to Labour and ousted Churchill in the 1945 elections. Stansky's answer is too subtle for me to give fully here, but for me that was the real kicker of the book: the Blitz essentially made people realize both the worth of all classes of people and also the need for a central government to manage affairs correctly and smoothly. Yes, there are parallels there to hurricane Katrina, and Stanky talks briefly about them. A really good, quick read.

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