Bomber Boys: Fighting Back 1940-1945: Amazon.co.uk: Patrick Bishop: Books

Review

‘A superb human portrait.’ Daily Mail

‘A deeply humane, lucidly written and powerful tribute to some of the unsung heroes of the Second World War.’ Michael Burleigh, Sunday Times

‘Superbly written and authoritative…the members of Bomber Command now have a fitting commemoration of their heroic deeds.’ Observer

‘This is the best kind of military history – the kind in which the author never loses sight of the impact of war on its victims, German as well as British, and those who were left behind. “Bomber Boys” will remind the survivors that they and their lost comrades are not forgotten. And it reminds the rest of us what their war was all about.’ Daniel Johnson, Evening Standard

‘This is a terrific book, so riveting, exciting and moving that it must help bring back the Bomber Boys to their rightful place of honour. A true war memorial.’ Montagu Curzon, Spectator

‘A compelling account of life in RAF Bomber Command.’ Telegraph

‘Wonderfully sensitive and sympathetic…Bishop has produced a superb human portrait of the men who did so many remarkable things over Germany…this book is a fitting memorial to their sacrifice, and an admirably judicious verdict on the successes and failures of the bomber offensive.’ Daily Mail

‘Bishop narrates with the combination of cool curiosity and warm engagement common to the best foreign correspondents (a category to which, of course, he belongs)…Above all, he reveals how humanity stubbornly survives even within inhumanity…May Patrick Bishop’s moving, sensitively written book gain many readers.’ Frederick Taylor, Literary Review

‘This book is…a tribute to the courage of the “Bomber Boys” themselves. It is not only persuasively argued but also thrilling and in places profoundly moving.’ Daily Express

‘I closed the book feeling a great flood of pity for both the bombed and the bombers. There is no contradiction: both were the sacrificial victims of war…as in all good books, it is the details that stick in the mind.’ Mail on Sunday

‘Brings vividly to life the experiences of the nearly half million people who served in Bomber Command…makes superb use of interviews with veterans, but also covers the strategic and moral issues with admirable objectivity and clarity.’ The Times

‘Bishop builds up an intimate day-to-day portrait of life in Bomber Command, through an extensive series of interviews…superbly written and authoritative…the members of Bomber Command now have a fitting commenmoration of their heroic deeds.’ Observer

‘No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved… there can't be a finer history.' New Statesman

Praise for Fighter Boys:
'Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.'
TJ Binyon, Evening Standard

'A superb account of the spirit and character of Fighter Command.'
Martin Fletcher, Independent

'I know of no more thoughtful nor yet more moving study of their achievement.'
Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph

'No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved…there can't be a finer history.' New Statesman

'Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.' Evening Standard

'As a vivid chronicle of who the Battle of Britain pilots were, what motivated them, and why they were ultimately successful, Fighter Boys is unsurpassed.'
Daily Telegraph

'A living, breathing monument to the fighter boys.'
Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

Review

'A superb human portrait.' Daily Mail 'A deeply humane, lucidly written and powerful tribute to some of the unsung heroes of the Second World War.' Michael Burleigh, Sunday Times 'Superbly written and authoritative!the members of Bomber Command now have a fitting commemoration of their heroic deeds.' Observer 'This is the best kind of military history -- the kind in which the author never loses sight of the impact of war on its victims, German as well as British, and those who were left behind. "Bomber Boys" will remind the survivors that they and their lost comrades are not forgotten. And it reminds the rest of us what their war was all about.' Daniel Johnson, Evening Standard 'This is a terrific book, so riveting, exciting and moving that it must help bring back the Bomber Boys to their rightful place of honour. A true war memorial.' Montagu Curzon, Spectator 'A compelling account of life in RAF Bomber Command.' Telegraph 'Wonderfully sensitive and sympathetic!Bishop has produced a superb human portrait of the men who did so many remarkable things over Germany!this book is a fitting memorial to their sacrifice, and an admirably judicious verdict on the successes and failures of the bomber offensive.' Daily Mail 'Bishop narrates with the combination of cool curiosity and warm engagement common to the best foreign correspondents (a category to which, of course, he belongs)!Above all, he reveals how humanity stubbornly survives even within inhumanity!May Patrick Bishop's moving, sensitively written book gain many readers.' Frederick Taylor, Literary Review 'This book is!a tribute to the courage of the "Bomber Boys" themselves. It is not only persuasively argued but also thrilling and in places profoundly moving.' Daily Express 'I closed the book feeling a great flood of pity for both the bombed and the bombers. There is no contradiction: both were the sacrificial victims of war!as in all good books, it is the details that stick in the mind.' Mail on Sunday 'Brings vividly to life the experiences of the nearly half million people who served in Bomber Command!makes superb use of interviews with veterans, but also covers the strategic and moral issues with admirable objectivity and clarity.' The Times 'Bishop builds up an intimate day-to-day portrait of life in Bomber Command, through an extensive series of interviews!superbly written and authoritative!the members of Bomber Command now have a fitting commenmoration of their heroic deeds.' Observer 'No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved! there can't be a finer history.' New Statesman Praise for Fighter Boys: 'Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.' TJ Binyon, Evening Standard 'A superb account of the spirit and character of Fighter Command.' Martin Fletcher, Independent 'I know of no more thoughtful nor yet more moving study of their achievement.' Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph 'No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved!there can't be a finer history.' New Statesman 'Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.' Evening Standard 'As a vivid chronicle of who the Battle of Britain pilots were, what motivated them, and why they were ultimately successful, Fighter Boys is unsurpassed.' Daily Telegraph 'A living, breathing monument to the fighter boys.' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

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45 of 46 people found the following review helpful

Old Lags of Bomber Command 18 Oct 2007

By Mitchell

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As an ex Bomber Boy this book is first class and shows the modern youth how we responded to the threat of Nazi domination and despite the denigration of our efforts by modern 'hindsight' historians, most young people I have met do not look upon us as 'terrorists'. I for one have faith in our 21st century young men that they would respond as we did in 1943/45.

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76 of 80 people found the following review helpful

Magnificent 10 April 2007

By john wills

Format:Hardcover

One word sums up this book: magnificent. It is history of the highest calibre. It is thoroughly researched and written with sensitivity and great style. It is a fitting memorial to the thousands of brave young men of Bomber Command who gave their lives in the cause of freedom. For too long have these men been forgotten and often reviled. Mr Bishop's brilliant book is a long overdue reminder that they deserve to be revered as much as the heroes of Fighter Command.

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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

Should be compulsory reading! 4 Jun 2008

By Mr X

Format:Paperback

This book is the best book I have read so far this year.

It describes the strategic air war against Germany by the RAF in the Second World War. That description makes it sound maybe a bit dry and academic but it is far from being either of those things! It tells the story of this chapter in the war from a very human point of view. For example, there are chapters describing the airmen's training, lives at their bases, their motivation, how they dealt with the fear of being killed whilst carrying out operation over Europe at night and many other highly interesting aspects of the lives of these remarkable men.

The book also describes the strategy behind the bombing of Germany, from the beginning to the end of the war and gives a good insight into the main commanders - people such as Charles Portal and Bomber Harris.

The story told in these pages is often very moving and I once I had finished the book I thought about it for a long time afterwards, quite unlike other books I have read. I felt great sympathy for all the men of Bomber Command, which has never had the vital role it played in World War II properly publicly acknowledged. I hope that this book will cause many to ask why this is so and perhaps focus efforts to have a permanent memorial specific to these men built, and to have this done before the last of them die and they recede from living memory.