Bombers

From the First World War to Kosovo

The story of the bomber is told with a blend of narrative and personal accounts, recording the history of the principle bombing raids and the skill and courage of those who flew them. David Wragg begins with a brief overview of the origins of the concept of aerial bombardment, which astonishingly go back several thousand years. He then describes the early raids of World War I 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 and, bringing this in-depth study up to date, Wragg examines the controversial campaign of extensive U.S. bombing in Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s. He also discusses whether, with the growing use of cruise missiles, the manned bomber may soon be the first element of air power to be made redundant in this age of high technology.