An unconventional history on aerial bombing, and the profound and terrible effects of its aftermath on the modern world. On November 1, 1911, Lieutenant Cavarotti leaned out of the cockpit of his delicate aircraft and, holding a Haasen hand grenade, began one of the most devastating military tactics of the 20th century: aerial bombing. This is but one of many points of entry Lindqvist presents in this innovative history. Structuring the book in a way that re-enacts the disruptions of history caused by the advent of the bomb, Lindqvist offers his readers a series of ways into and paths through this re-examination of a century of war. He turns his fresh, inquisitive eye and tireless moral sense on the fascinating histories behind the development of air power, bombs and the laws of war and international justice, demonstrating how the practices of two world wars were born of colonial warfare.
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Amazon Review
Sven Lindqvist has acquired a reputation as an innovative writer with an unorthodox line in cultural histories, so expect the unexpected with A History of Bombing. Rather than a straightforward linear narrative, Lindqvist has divided the book into a labyrinth of 399 short sections that can be read in any number of orders. The author has established 22 entrances into the book and to follow the different themes you have to weave your way backward and forward through the text; if you get waylaid by another section en route you end up somewhere else entirely. The idea behind this structure is to demonstrate the chaos of history and the difficulties in navigating a coherent path through differing viewpoints and interpretations. As an intellectual conceit it might sound brilliant but the reality is somewhat different. Reading this book is like wading through treacle; it is demanding, time-consuming and ultimately frustrating. This is a pity, because had Lindqvist kept to a more conventional structure one suspects his arguments might have carried more weight. Lindqvist draws his material from both official and personal sources and his aim is to make clear the immorality of bombing. Unfortunately he is not always a reliable witness, as his desire to prove his case results in some important documentary omissions. His discussions of both the blanket bombing of Germany during the Second World War and the dropping of the atom bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki contain almost no reference to how events might have panned out had they not taken place and whether there might have been an even greater loss of life. For the reader with tenacity and perseverance there is a decent enough polemic to be found; for those who are looking for a more detailed and accessible history, Robin Neillands's The Bomber War is a far more rewarding read. --John Crace
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'So comprehensive is Lindqvist’s investigation that it’s hard to imagine a more assiduous chronicler of the subject.' -- Publishing News
'Sven Lindqvist is not only a remarkable historian, he is also one of the best storytellers in the historical profession today' -- Joanna Bourke, Times Literary Supplement
‘He writes with infectious moral anger, and much humour and intelligence’ -- The Guardian
'Sven Lindqvist is not only a remarkable historian, he is also one of the best storytellers in the historical profession today' -- Joanna Bourke, Times Literary Supplement
‘He writes with infectious moral anger, and much humour and intelligence’ -- The Guardian
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Sven Lindqvist has produced a fascinating presentation of a fearsome subject. He cleverly uses a technique usually associated with web browsing to draw themes across the time-line. The result is that he develops in the reader a depth of understanding which would not be possible in a traditional linear text. As I progressed through the book through its various access points, I knew exactly where I was in time and understood how that theme interacted with concurrent themes. None of this, of course, would be of value if Lindqvists writing failed to engross. His hypotheses on the real nature of bombing (based in part on his own personal experience) give the armchair viewer a real sense of the outrage of this facet of warfare.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Normally I would give this book five stars; it only gets four because I compare it to "Exterminate all the Brutes" by the same author - "Bombing" is not quite as elegant.
The original Swedish title of "A History of Bombing" is the equivalent of "Bang-You're Dead!" I find this title far more apt. The book is not a meticulous, ossified 'history'. It is more an expose of how bombing allows humans to commit atrocious violence at a distance, and so makes killing easier on the conscience and pocket. Bombing, like shooting your mate with a toy gun at age 5, doesn't require you to confront any spilt organs or other unsavoury realities. Lindqvist references early Sci-fi visions of WMD to accentuate this imagination/reality gap and (in my humble opinion) show us how much of war is really fear of monsters combined with a most infantile lack of empathy. British readers will find the detailed description of the fire-bombing of Dresden ungentlemanly. But it is exactly the kind of shameful knowledge we should all keep in mind at all times, and most of all when involved in "war against" X, Y or Z. It is too easy to destroy and too hard to create and we all need to remain awake to that fact. This book does a sterling job of reminding us.
The original Swedish title of "A History of Bombing" is the equivalent of "Bang-You're Dead!" I find this title far more apt. The book is not a meticulous, ossified 'history'. It is more an expose of how bombing allows humans to commit atrocious violence at a distance, and so makes killing easier on the conscience and pocket. Bombing, like shooting your mate with a toy gun at age 5, doesn't require you to confront any spilt organs or other unsavoury realities. Lindqvist references early Sci-fi visions of WMD to accentuate this imagination/reality gap and (in my humble opinion) show us how much of war is really fear of monsters combined with a most infantile lack of empathy. British readers will find the detailed description of the fire-bombing of Dresden ungentlemanly. But it is exactly the kind of shameful knowledge we should all keep in mind at all times, and most of all when involved in "war against" X, Y or Z. It is too easy to destroy and too hard to create and we all need to remain awake to that fact. This book does a sterling job of reminding us.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is a history of bombing - both conventional and nuclear - and it effects on mankind. It is at times profoundly disturbing, and is thought-provoking and intriguing throughout. The illustrations are good, too. As well as coverage of the factual history of bombing, one interesting sideline is an examination of how fiction has viewed weapons of mass destruction. The layout is interesting too, with the book divided into small sections that are hyperlinked by reference numbers. I'm not convinced this adds much, but it certainly doesn't detract.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By G. Bache
Format:Paperback
Together with "Exterminate all the brutes", this book really brings home quite how racist the world has been in the past. This book concentrates on the use of indisciminate bombing to try and hold together colonial empires, and the history of future-fantasy novels, often with bombing other races out of existence as the theme and with well-known characters such as Rudyard Kipling and Robert Heinlein as authors.
It also worryingly illustrates how some nations cannot come to terms with their past: for example that no British military museum is currently admitting the carpet-bombing of Dresden after World War II was essentially won.
Mostly very good and well-argued: though with a slightly odd conclusion which wasn't hinted at by the rest of the book (that inter-dependence of global economies is the biggest danger facing the future of the civilised world.)
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Humanity of the author is equalled only by the inhumanity he graphically describes.
28 Feb 2013
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Anyone with an interest in how our society is the way it is should read this book. Anyone with an interest in 20th Century history should read this book. Particularly those interested in the history of the 2nd World War and the part played by Britain and the Allies who have been taught the accepted narrative of our history in school and via the media. In fact, this book should be required reading as part of British history course curriculums. The Humanity of the author is equalled only by the inhumanity he graphically describes. This book illustrates the calmly, calculated methods used by intelligent, respected human beings to have acts of mass murder committed on their behalf against their fellow human beings. The only reason I don't give 4 Stars, as I would with Lindquist's 'Exterminate All The Brutes' is the occasional difficulty encountered on the odd occasion one puts the book down then picks it up trying to find where one left off (it's designed to read in sections, requiring the reader to move from numbered section to numbered section rather than page to page). I can't imagine what the Kindle version is like to read, if there is one.
By Eileen Shaw
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
A curious title, you might think but this book is essential if you want to understand war and the governments who wage it. This is no ordinary history book but a uniquely fascinating read from start to finish. Chopped into numbered segments, which are meant to be read in sequence, the book is a highly intelligent exposé of bombing warfare consisting of everything from childhood memories to secret exchanges in the White House. Sven Lindqvist has also highlighted some of the history of war in fiction, an added bonus to what is a stimulating, albeit terrifying, read. Once you get used to following the numbered paragraphs (which admittedly is puzzling at first), you will find unfolding a gripping and compelling narrative of death which arrives from the sky.
This is not a comfortable read - it requires adventurous readers, open to the discovery of a new perspective on life and death on this planet.
This is not a comfortable read - it requires adventurous readers, open to the discovery of a new perspective on life and death on this planet.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely essential
Hideous, ghastly and beautiful, the author's superb dissection of the History of Bombing has literally changed my way of thinking. Read more
Published on 22 July 2008 by Mr. J. Mccool
3.0 out of 5 stars
bullfight are easy behind the barrier
This book has, I think, three different parts or points of view; the first is well worth, and these is the good documentation about the theme of aerial bombing, abundant and... Read more
Published on 4 Sep 2002 by Carlos Vazquez Quintana
4.0 out of 5 stars
thought provoking
Mr Lindquist writes from a Swedish perspective, from a country neither bombed or bombing. To some extent this makes his views more objective, and it certainly gives different views... Read more
Published on 5 July 2002 by J. Deane
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