Bomber Command. Volume 4

This, the fourth and penultimate volume in the Bomber Command series, continues with the pace and quality we have come to expect from Martin Bowman. It adds itself to the volume of work published in the previous three volumes by Pen and Sword, and provides a comprehensive insight in to the experiences of Bomber Command’s pilots and aircrew throughout World War Two.

From the early wartime years when the RAF’s first attempts to avenge Germany’s onslaught were bedeviled by poor navigation and inaccurate bombing, to the final winning onslaught that finally tamed Hitler in his Berlin lair, these volumes trace the true experiences of the men who flew the bombers. Hundreds of firsthand accounts are punctuated by the author’s background information that puts each narrative into wartime perspective. Every aspect of Bomber Commands operational duties are covered; day and night bombing, precision low-level strikes, mass raids and operations throughout all wartime theaters. Contributions are from RAF personnel who flew the command’s different aircraft from the early Blenheims and Stirlings to the later Lancasters and Mosquitoes. Each volume is full of accounts that tell of the camaraderie amongst the crews, moments of sheer terror and the stoic humor that provided the critical bond. The five volumes of this work provide the most vivid and comprehensive work on the outstanding part played by RAF Bomber Command in their vital role in the destruction of the Third Reich.