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Bombers
by Keith AylingIncludes 31 IllustrationsEx-Bomber pilot, journalist, outstanding aviation author, Keith Ayling brilliantly analyzes the bombers - medium, light, heavy and dive - of U.S., Britain, Russia and the Axis Air Forces. When and where different types of bombers are used, with details of performance and thrilling stories of heroism in the air. Every type of bomber is included, light as well as heavy, torpedo bombers and dive bombers, including a glimpse into the closely guarded details of the Russian air force, and a look at the bomber strength of Japan. Illustrated with b/w photographs.
Bombers Across
by Captain Edgar J. Wynn"THERE are more unsung heroes fighting in this war, I suppose, than in all the other wars of history rolled together. Explorers who have gone into remote regions in search of rare minerals and products of the jungle; men in the intelligence services who in this war have an infinitely more difficult job than ever before; paratroopers dropped behind the lines whom we never hear about; war correspondents who have suffered more casualties in proportion to their numbers than any other single group taking an active part at the various fronts; doctors, nurses, stretcher bearers, and ambulance drivers for whom the hazards are now far greater than ever; ground crews at advance air bases, and so on. The list is endless. But right at the head of it should go the flyers whose job it is to ferry planes across the oceans, and fly the endless stream of munitions that go by the sky route."-Preface.This is the story of Captain Edward J. Wynn (born 1914) learned to fly at age 16, and barnstormed in the East and Middle West of the United States until the outbreak of World War II. In 1940 Wynn joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, where he was an instructor. After a few months, however, Wynn resigned his commission to take a job as a civilian ferry pilot. After forty-odd flights across the North Atlantic as a ferry pilot, he shifted to Pan American Airways where he ferried bombers to Africa by the South Atlantic Route. He later switched to TWA where he had the privilege of piloting Eleanor Roosevelt. After his stint with TWA he became a captain in the Air Transport Command.
The Bombers and the Bombed
by Richard OveryThe ultimate history of the Allied bombing campaigns in World War IITechnology shapes the nature of all wars, and the Second World War hinged on a most unpredictable weapon: the bomb. Day and night, Britain and the United States unleashed massive fleets of bombers to kill and terrorize occupied Europe, destroying its cities. The grisly consequences call into question how "moral" a war the Allies fought.The Bombers and the Bombed radically overhauls our understanding of World War II. It pairs the story of the civilian front line in the Allied air war alongside the political context that shaped their strategic bombing campaigns, examining the responses to bombing and being bombed with renewed clarity.The first book to examine seriously not only the well-known attacks on Dresden and Hamburg but also the significance of the firebombing on other fronts, including Italy, where the crisis was far more severe than anything experienced in Germany, this is Richard Overy's finest work yet. It is a rich reminder of the terrible military, technological, and ethical issues that relentlessly drove all the war's participants into an abyss.
The Bombers and the Bombed
by Richard OveryThe ultimate history of the Allied bombing campaigns in World War II Technology shapes the nature of all wars, and the Second World War hinged on a most unpredictable weapon: the bomb. Day and night, Britain and the United States unleashed massive fleets of bombers to kill and terrorize occupied Europe, destroying its cities. The grisly consequences call into question how "moral” a war the Allies fought. The Bombers and the Bombed radically overhauls our understanding of World War II. It pairs the story of the civilian front line in the Allied air war alongside the political context that shaped their strategic bombing campaigns, examining the responses to bombing and being bombed with renewed clarity. The first book to examine seriously not only the well-known attacks on Dresden and Hamburg but also the significance of the firebombing on other fronts, including Italy, where the crisis was far more severe than anything experienced in Germany, this is Richard Overy’s finest work yet. It is a rich reminder of the terrible military, technological, and ethical issues that relentlessly drove all the war’s participants into an abyss. .
Bombers Fly East: WWII RAF Operations in the Middle and Far East
by Martin W. BowmanHighlights include several chapters on the Mediterranean air forces, with special emphasis placed on the brave but futile attempts of the South African Air Force Liberator crews in Italy to supply Polish patriots during the Warsaw uprising. Individual chapters covering various aspects of the war in the Mediterranean, Malta and the Western Desert are told by the combatants themselves in crisp unerring detail. The author recounts the thrilling RAF Wellington and Liberator bombing and resupply operations from Italy, before following the action to the Far East and the combats between the RAF and the Japanese Imperial Air Force.The story of some of the bravest Blenheim sorties and dog fights with Japanese Zeroes are uniquely related by the crews and the Japanese pilots. Numerous stories of the part played by the RAF and Royal Australian Air Force Liberator crews operating over the jungles of iam, Malaya and Singapore feature, as does the story of the famous Yangtze Incident, which involved HMS Amethysts precarious and dangerous voyage down the Yangtze River in the face of opposition from Chinese forces.The book is illustrated with never before seen images of RAF, SAAF, RAAF and USAAF aircraft and their crews. It serves to commemorate the many acts of bravery, endurance and heroism that characterized this time.
Bombers Over Berlin: The RAF Offensive, November 1943–March 1944
by Alan W. CooperFirst published to acclaim in 1985, this book is set to be a timely release, in line with the 70th Anniversary of the outset of the Raids, near approaching in November 2013. Berlin itself was 'the Big City'. It was deep in the heart of Germany and heavily defended with flak and night fighters, not only because it was the administrative capital but also because it was vital for the German war production machine. Heavy losses could be expected on any raid to Berlin. So when the curtain was swept back on the briefing map to reveal the red ribbon stretching towards Berlin there was added tension for the bomber crews. Between November 1943 and March 1944, Berlin was the target no less than sixteen times. 9,112 sorties were flown and 495 aircraft were lost.As in his previous books, Alan Cooper has painstakingly researched all the details of the raids, telling the stories of individual crews who flew on them, of those who returned safely and those who were shot down, becoming POWs or evading capture, either returning to the UK or remaining at large in occupied Europe. He tells of the heroism of the pilots and crews grappling with heavily -loaded bombers against night fighters, often nursing stricken aircraft back to base, with many failing to return.Acclaim for Bombers Over Berlin:What makes this book so remarkable and interesting is its anthology of short but graphic accounts of the trials and tribulations of the dozens of bomber crews involved...Bombers Over Berlin is unique in its compilations of such a large number of personal anecdotes covering the hazards of sustained fighter and flak attacks...a thoroughly well researched chronicle Ken Batchelor, former Chairman of the Bomber Command Association.
Bombers over Sand and Snow: 205 Group RAF in World War II
by Alun Granfield205 Group RAF provided the only mobile force of heavy night bombers in the Mediterranean theater in the Second World War. It operated mainly from bases in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Italy, with occasional excursions to Malta, Greece and Iraq, attacking tactical and strategic targets according to the demands of the wider war in the theater. The force was relatively small when compared with the numbers of aircraft available to Bomber Command in the Western European theater, and it carried on using the venerable Vickers Wellington long after this aircraft had been relegated to the training role in the United Kingdom.Like their UK-based counterparts the night bombers were intended to operate in a strategic role, bombing targets away from the immediate battlefront. However, the demands of the war in the Middle East and Mediterranean soon diverted the bombers from their strategic role and saw them operating much closer to the front line in support of the hard pressed ground forces.The bomber squadrons in North Africa usually operated from Advanced Landing Grounds scraped out of the bare desert, with only a few tents for shelter. In Italy they did have more or less permanent bases, but they still lived in tents (if they were lucky) often surrounded by a sea of mud. There were no pubs, often no beer, and the only contact with their families were the eagerly awaited letters from home. Also the squadrons in England did not have Rommel continually knocking on their door. Thus, the operations of the night bombers in the Middle East and Mediterranean were often governed by the general progress of the war in the theater. The ebb and flow of the land battles not only determined the activities of the night bombers, but also determined their location. This book tells their story.
Bombers, Rioters and Police Killers: Violent Crime and Disorder in Victorian Britain
by Simon Webb&“Fascinating and enlightening . . . Historical true crime books can often fall victim to being very dry . . . [This book], however, is quite the opposite&” (Crime Traveler). Despite the Victorian period&’s reputation for stability and social order, there was plenty of civil disorder during this time—violent crime and terrorism were considerably worse than they are today. This book recounts a time when citizens faced problems eerily similar to those with which we have to contend in modern times. Whether a rise in armed robberies and muggings; debates about the arming of the police; bag searches due to fears about terrorists planting bombs in museums and railway stations; or anxiety about rioting on the streets of our cities; our Victorian ancestors faced precisely the same difficulties well over a century ago. With stories of police officers shot, stabbed, or beaten to death, and of bombs exploding in the London Underground, this is an enlightening look at how the good old days were not always so good.
Bombes de Bain: Le Top 15 des Recettes de Bombes de Bain
by Nancy RossUtilisations des bombes de bain Choisir le bon emballage et prendre soin de ses bombes Erreurs typiques à éviter Avantages de la fabrication maison des bombes de bain Et bien plus encore!
Bombing Civilians
by Yuki Tanaka Marilyn B. YoungBombing Civilians examines a crucial question: why did military planning in the early twentieth century shift its focus from bombing military targets to bombing civilians? From the British bombing of Iraq in the early 1920s to the most recent policies in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon, Bombing Civilians analyzes in detail the history of indiscriminate bombing, examining the fundamental questions of how this theory justifying mass killing originated and why it was employed as a compelling military strategy for decades, both before and since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Bombing Germany: The Destruction of Pforzhelm and the Closing Months of Bomber Command's War
by Tony ReddingDuring 1942 and 1943 the striking power of RAF Bomber Command was transformed by the arrival of heavy bombers, advanced navigation and blind bombing systems, and new tactics to concentrate the bombers over the target and swamp the German defences. By October 1944 most of Germany's cities were in ruins, yet the bombing continued to intensify, reaching unprecedented levels in the final seven months of the air campaign. The value of further area raids was questioned during the opening months of 1945, yet the Allies destroyed the remaining cities in a bid to hasten the end of the war. The handful of German cities still largely unscathed in early February 1945 included Dresden, which was obliterated on 13 February. Ten days later, the South German city of Pforzheim was destined to suffer the same fate.This book commemorates the efforts of the aircrew members who risked their lives, consolidating a host of intriguing first-hand accounts. It also considers Pforzheim as a representative community under National Socialist rule. The city's survivors remember the horror of the raid and its aftermath, including eventual occupation by French Colonial troops and, subsequently, American forces. Tony does an admirable job of presenting historical context when considering actions in times of extreme trauma and his narrative offers an intriguing, engaging and poignant evocation of the closing months of Bomber Command's war.
Bombing Hitler's Hometown: The Untold Story of the Last Mass Bomber Raid of World War II in Europe
by Mike CroissantOne of WWII&’s final untold stories, this visceral account of the white-knuckled bombing mission American airmen carried out on Hitler&’s hometown of Linz, Austria is now told for the first time through the eyes of the men on the airplanes as well as the innocent Austrians under the bombs. Fans of Masters of the Air and Unbroken will be riveted by this groundbreaking true story of the aerial bombing and its aftermath from retired CIA officer Mike Croissant. Foreword by Richard Overy, author of The Bombers and the Bombed In April 1945, Linz was one of Nazi Germany&’s most vital assets. It was a crucial transportation hub and communications center, with railyards brimming with war materiel destined for the front lines. Linz was also the town Hitler claimed as home and had long intended to remake as the cultural capital of Europe, filling its planned Fuehrermuseum with world-famous art stolen from his conquered territories. Inevitably, Linz was also one of the most heavily defended targets remaining in Europe. The airmen of the Fifteenth Air Force were a mix of seasoned veterans and newcomers. As their mission was unveiled in the predawn hours of April 25th, audible groans and muffled expletives passed many lips. The reality of that mission would prove more brutal than any imagined. In the unheated, unpressurized B‑24 Liberator and B‑17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, young men battled elements as dangerous as anything the Germans could throw at them. When batteries of German anti‑aircraft guns opened fire, the men flew into a man‑made hell of exploding shrapnel. Aircraft and men fell from the sky as Austrian civilians on the ground also struggled to survive beneath the bombs during the deadly climax of Hitler&’s war. Drawing on interviews with dozens of America&’s last surviving World War II veterans, as well as previously unpublished sources, Mike Croissant compellingly relates one of the war&’s last truly untold stories—a gripping chronicle of warfare, the death of Nazi Germany, and the beginning of the Cold War. It is also a timeless tale of courage and terror, loss and redemption, humanity and savagery.
The Bombing Of Brittany: Solving The Wrong Problem
by Major Jeremiah S. HeathmanAs a result of the Allied bombing campaign against Nazi submarine bases during the Second World War, the cities of Brest, Lorient, and Saint Nazaire were nearly completely destroyed. Despite thousands of bombing missions, all three submarine bunkers still stand today. This monograph examines the effectiveness of the Allied bombing campaign against German submarine bases in Brittany by analyzing the campaign through the use of a design methodology. Research is broken down into three frames: the operational approach, the operational environment and the problem frame. The first frame provides an account of the bombing missions and effects. Next, an overview of the operational environment is conducted by exploring the historical context of Brittany, German construction efforts and Allied institutional barriers. The study concludes by examining the problem frame, which entails how the Allies perceived their operational problem and developed an approach based on their understanding. Ultimately, the Allies failed to accurately identify their problem and developed an ineffective approach towards defeating the threat. Had the Allies incorporated design thinking into their planning and execution, they may have developed an effective campaign towards defeating the Nazi U-boat threat rather than solving the wrong problem.
Bombing Pompeii: World Heritage And Military Necessity
by Nigel PollardBombing Pompeii examines the circumstances under which over 160 Allied bombs hit the archaeological site of Pompeii in August and September 1943, and the wider significance of this event in the history of efforts to protect cultural heritage in conflict zones, a broader issue which is still of great importance. From detailed examinations of contemporary archival document, Nigel Pollard shows that the bomb damage to ancient Pompeii was accidental, and the bombs were aimed at road and rail routes close to the site in an urgent attempt to slow down the reinforcement and supply of German counter- attacks that threatened to defeat the Allied landings in the Gulf of Salerno. The book sets this event, along with other instances of damage and risk to cultural heritage in Italy in the Second World War, in the context of the development of the Allied Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives – the “Monuments Men.”
Bombing the City: Civilian Accounts of the Air War in Britain and Japan, 1939–1945 (Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare)
by Aaron William MooreWorld War II is enshrined in our collective memory as the good war - a victory of good over evil. However, the bombing war has always troubled this narrative as total war transformed civilians into legitimate targets and raised unsettling questions such as whether it was possible for Allies and Axis alike to be victims of aggression. In Bombing the City, an unprecedented comparative history of how ordinary Britons and Japanese experienced bombing, Aaron William Moore offers a major new contribution to these debates. Utilising hundreds of diaries, letters, and memoirs, he recovers the voices of ordinary people on both sides - from builders, doctors and factory-workers to housewives, students and policemen - and reveals the shared experiences shaped by gender, class, race, and age. He reveals how it was that the British and Japanese public continued to support bombing elsewhere even as they experienced firsthand its terrible impact at home.
Bombing the Marshall Islands: A Cold War Tragedy
by Robert A. Parsons Keith M. ZaballaDuring the Cold War, the United States conducted atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands of the Pacific. The total explosive yield of these tests was 108 megatons, equivalent to the detonation of one Hiroshima bomb per day over nineteen years. These tests, particularly Castle Bravo, the largest one, had tragic consequences, including the irradiation of innocent people and the permanent displacement of many native Marshallese. Keith M. Parsons and Robert Zaballa tell the story of the development and testing of thermonuclear weapons and the effects of these tests on their victims and on the popular and intellectual culture. These events are also situated in their Cold War context and explained in terms of the prevailing hopes, fears, and beliefs of that age. In particular, the narrative highlights the obsessions and priorities of top American officials, such as Lewis L. Strauss, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.
Bombing the People
by Thomas HipplerGiulio Douhet is generally considered the world's most important air-power theorist and this book offers the first comprehensive account of his air-power concepts. It ranges from 1884 when an air service was first implemented within the Italian military to the outbreak of the Second World War, and explores the evolution and dissemination of Douhet's ideas in an international context. It examines the impact of the Libyan war, the First World War and Ethiopian war on the development of Italian air-power strategy. It also addresses the issue of Douhet's advocacy of strategic bombing, exploring why it was that Douhet became an advocate of city bombing; the meaning and the limits of his core concept of 'command of the air'; and the mutual impact of air power, military and naval thought. It also takes into account alternatives to Douhetism such as the theories developed by Amedeo Mecozzi and others.
Bombing To Surrender: The Contribution Of Air Power To The Collapse Of Italy, 1943
by Major Phillip A. SmithThroughout this first century of air power, military theorists have proposed numerous schemes as the best use of air power. Airmen of many nations tried and tested these theories in wars large and small and they have learned, ignored, or forgotten many lessons. Of the four major coercive mechanisms available to air power-punishment, risk, military denial and decapitation-Robert Pape in Bombing to Win, concludes that military denial is the best use of air power. Furthermore, Pape argues that recent technological advances only enhance the military denial mechanism. In his appendix, Pape categorizes the Italian case as another case of successful military denial.This study examines the collapse of Italy in 1943 and the contribution of air power to this collapse. Several broad works, often citing Ernest May in "Lessons" from the Past, claim that air power decisively caused the Italian surrender, but do not indisputably argue this point nor do they define the coercive mechanism(s) air power employed to achieve this result. Studies such as the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey or the British Bombing Survey Unit largely ignore Italy or in the case of F. W. Deakin's The Brutal Friendship, cite the coalition politics as the primary cause of Italy's surrender...In an era of clean conflict, both painless and quick, leaders and airman downplay the psychological effects of air power-with the exception of the questionable negative effects of casualties on the democracies. Operation DESERT STORM typifies both these effects. Furthermore, attrition-based computer wargame simulations largely ignore the human element. The collapse of Italy serves as one example where the psychological effects of air power outweighed the physical damage caused by bombing.
Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War
by Robert A. PapeFrom Iraq to Bosnia to North Korea, the first question in American foreign policy debates is increasingly: Can air power alone do the job? Robert A. Pape provides a systematic answer. Analyzing the results of over thirty air campaigns, including a detailed reconstruction of the Gulf War, he argues that the key to success is attacking the enemy's military strategy, not its economy, people, or leaders. Coercive air power can succeed, but not as cheaply as air enthusiasts would like to believe. Pape examines the air raids on Germany, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq as well as those of Israel versus Egypt, providing details of bombing and governmental decision making. His detailed narratives of the strategic effectiveness of bombing range from the classical cases of World War II to an extraordinary reconstruction of airpower use in the Gulf War, based on recently declassified documents. In this now-classic work of the theory and practice of airpower and its political effects, Robert A. Pape helps military strategists and policy makers judge the purpose of various air strategies, and helps general readers understand the policy debates.
Bombs and Ballots: Governance by Islamist Terrorist and Guerrilla Groups
by Krista E. WiegandEventually, most terrorist and guerrilla groups are defeated by governments or gradually die off - sometimes becoming political parties, democratically participating in the non-violent governance of their states. Yet some terrorist and guerrilla groups maintain military capabilities, using violence and democratic participation simultaneously. Here, Krista E. Wiegand examines the different political strategies that Islamist terrorist and guerrilla groups use to achieve their political objectives. Focussing on Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine, Wiegand skilfully reveals the factors that determine why Islamist militant groups become involved in governance as political parties, how mainstream governments may or may not accept them as legitimate, why some groups like al- Gama'a al-Islamiya in Egypt renounce guerrilla tactics, and how some groups govern whilst employing political violence. Bombs and Ballots is a valuable contribution to the study of state-society relations in the Middle East, exposing the blurred line between terrorist activity and governance.
Bombs and Barbed Wire: One Man's Great Escape
by Jeff SteelHis hatred of Nazism made him leave his six-month marriage to Miranda on hold. Over Germany his Halifax bomber is shot down by a night fighter: He has ten seconds to act or he will never see her again. Ambrose Adlam did not even want to go to war. Hitler&’s war came looking for him. The war enveloped him, it took over his world; there was no escape. To do nothing was not an option. Ambrose joined RAF ground crew. That was not enough. He volunteered for active service as a Flight Engineer in Halifax bombers. The RAF high command forgot to tell him that his chance of survival was minimal. Ambrose found out the hard way as his bomber plummeted to earth in flames. Parachuting into a duck pond in Nazi Germany, he narrowly escaped death. On the run, he is pursued by German forces. They shot him. He survived. An odyssey through the monstrous world of Luftwaffe prisoner of war camps brought him to the eastern fringe of the Third Reich. The camp was called Stalag Luft III. Beneath the exterior calm of the camp routine, an ambitious plot was brewing. The prisoners were organising a mass breakout. There were hundreds involved. As a non-officer he would not be one to break free … but there was a lot that he could do to support the Great Escape.This was his war, his mission in life and his purpose. But would he ever see Miranda again? A gripping true story of love and war constructed from meticulous research, family records and eye-witness accounts.
Bombs Away!: Dramatic First-Hand Accounts of British & Commonwealth Bomber Aircrew in WWII
by Martin W. BowmanThis is a unique selection of wide-ranging experiences of British and Commonwealth Bomber Command aircrew during World War II. Their endearing bravery and fortitude and sometimes their despondency and cynicism, shows through in these stirring, daring, often irreverent, humorous and sometimes sardonic but memorable stories. All reflect the ethos, camaraderie, fear and bravery of the largely ordinary men, most of whom were plucked from civvy street and thrust into a frightening, bitter conflict which was made even more dangerous by the lethal advance of technology.Death would normally come from an anonymous assassin, either in the black of night, or from behind a cloud or out of the sun, or simply from the Flak gunner on the ground. And, if all this was not enough, the often unmerciful weather was no respecter of mortality. There was no escaping the all-embracing shock wave that rippled through the bomber squadrons after a heavy mauling over enemy territory. Nothing could be more poignant than the vacuous places at tables in the depleted mess halls, the empty locker of the departed, or the dog pining by the barracks for its missing master. Each man had to deal with tragedy in his own inimitable way. Some hid their feelings better than others did only for the pain to resurface months or even years later. Some who had survived the physical pressures and who completed their tours then succumbed to the mental torture that had eaten away at their psyche during the incessant and interminable onslaught day after day, night after night. There was little respite. The valorous men of Bomber Command were, in turn, the Light Brigade, the stop gap, the riposte, the avengers, the undefeated. Always, they were expendable.
Bombs Away!: The World War II Bombing Campaigns over Europe
by John R. BruningBombs Away! covers strategic bombing in Europe during World War II, that is, all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature which took place between 1939 and 1945. In addition to American (U.S. Army Air Forces) and British (RAF Bomber Command) strategic aerial campaigns against Germany, this book covers German use of strategic bombing during the Nazi’s conquest of Europe: the Battle of Britain, Operation Barbarossa, and the V 1 and V 2, where the Luftwaffe targeted Warsaw and Rotterdam (known as the Rotterdam Blitz). In addition, the book covers the blitzes against London and the bombing of other British industrial and port cities, such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Southampton, Manchester, Bristol, Belfast, Cardiff, and Coventry bombed during the Battle of Britain. The twin Allied campaigns against Germany—the USAAF by day, the RAF by night—built up into massive bombing of German industrial areas, notably the Ruhr, followed by attacks directly on cities such as Hamburg, Kassel, Pforzheim, Mainz, Cologne, Bremen, Essen, Düsseldorf, Hanover, Dortmund, Frankfurt, and the still controversial fire-bombing of Hamburg and Dresden. In addition to obvious targets like aircraft and tank manufacturers, ball bearing factories and plants that manufactured abrasives and grinding wheels were high priority targets. Petroleum refineries were a key target with USAAF aircraft based in North Africa and later Italy, bombing the massive refinery complexes in and around Ploesti, Romania, until August 1944 when the Soviet Red Army captured the area. Other missions included industrial targets in southern Germany like Regensburg and Schweinfurt. Missions to the Nazi capital, Berlin, started in 1940 and continued through March 1945. Throughout the war there were 314 air raids on Berlin. All of this is covered in detail with authoritative text and hundreds of archival photographs, many rare or never before published.
Bombs Away: Militarization, Conservation, and Ecological Restoration
by David G. HavlickWhen viewed from space, the Korean Peninsula is crossed by a thin green ribbon. On the ground, its mix of dense vegetation and cleared borderlands serves as home to dozens of species that are extinct or endangered elsewhere on the peninsula. This is Korea’s demilitarized zone—one of the most dangerous places on earth for humans, and paradoxically one of the safest for wildlife. Although this zone was not intentionally created for conservation, across the globe hundreds of millions of acres of former military zones and bases are being converted to restoration areas, refuges, and conservation lands. David G. Havlick has traveled the world visiting these spaces of military-to-wildlife transition, and in Bombs Away he explores both the challenges—physical, historical, and cultural—and fascinating ecological possibilities of military site conversions. Looking at particular international sites of transition—from Indiana’s Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge to Cold War remnants along the former Iron Curtain—Havlick argues that these new frontiers of conservation must accomplish seemingly antithetical aims: rebuilding and protecting ecosystems, or restoring life, while also commemorating the historical and cultural legacies of warfare and militarization. Developing these ideas further, he shows that despite the ecological devastation often wrought by military testing and training, these activities need not be inconsistent with environmental goals, and in some cases can even complement them—a concept he calls ecological militarization. A profound, clear explication of landscapes both fraught and fecund, marked by death but also reservoirs of life, Bombs Away shows us how “military activities, conservation goals, and ecological restoration efforts are made to work together to create new kinds of places and new conceptions of place.”
Bombs Away: The Story of a Bomber Team
by John SteinbeckA magnificent volume of short novels and an essential World War II report from one of America's great twentieth-century writers<P> On the heels of the enormous success of his masterwork The Grapes of Wrath and at the height of the American war effort John Steinbeck, one of the most prolific and influential literary figures of his generation, wrote Bombs Away, a nonfiction account of his experiences with U.S. Army Air Force bomber crews during World War II. Now, for the first time since its original publication in 1942, Penguin Classics presents this exclusive edition of Steinbeck's introduction to the then-nascent U.S. Army Air Force and its bomber crew the essential core unit behind American air power that Steinbeck described as "the greatest team in the world."