Target London (4 reviews)
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Found in: British History Books
Hardback
240 pages
ISBN: 9781848841222
Published: 20 June 2011
Bombing The Capital 1915-2005
by Peter ReeseImprint: Pen & Sword Military
Found in: British History Books
Hardback
240 pages
ISBN: 9781848841222
Published: 20 June 2011
£19.99
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London was a target for Zeppelins and bombers during the First World War, for bombers, V1s and rockets in the Second, and for Cold War missiles and for terrorists in more recent times, yet rarely has the history of twentieth-century attacks on the capital been studied as a whole. Peter Reese, in this thought-provoking account, vividly describes how the destructive potential of aerial bombing and terrorist actions has increased and how Londoners have struggled to protect themselves and their city.
He looks at the strategic aims of the bombing campaigns – panic, devastation, paralysis of communications and the collapse of morale - and contrasts them with the actual responses of Londoners – of civilians – who faced this new form of indiscriminate warfare. As he traces the developing theory and practice of air power, he dispels myths and misunderstandings that still surround the subject.
His narrative follows the story from the commencement of the First World War when the development of aircraft accelerated and the possibilities of aerial warfare came to be appreciated – and feared. There are graphic accounts of the German raids on the city in the First World War, of the intense interwar debate about the impact of bombing, and of the ordeal that followed - the Blitz and the V1 and V2 campaigns.
He also considers in the concluding chapters more recent threats to the capital which come, not from aircraft and missiles, but from the bombing tactics adopted by terrorists, and the need for appropriate responses.
He looks at the strategic aims of the bombing campaigns – panic, devastation, paralysis of communications and the collapse of morale - and contrasts them with the actual responses of Londoners – of civilians – who faced this new form of indiscriminate warfare. As he traces the developing theory and practice of air power, he dispels myths and misunderstandings that still surround the subject.
His narrative follows the story from the commencement of the First World War when the development of aircraft accelerated and the possibilities of aerial warfare came to be appreciated – and feared. There are graphic accounts of the German raids on the city in the First World War, of the intense interwar debate about the impact of bombing, and of the ordeal that followed - the Blitz and the V1 and V2 campaigns.
He also considers in the concluding chapters more recent threats to the capital which come, not from aircraft and missiles, but from the bombing tactics adopted by terrorists, and the need for appropriate responses.
Product Reviews
This book provides a different perspective on air power and strategic bombing, and a valuable insight into the impact on London and its people of the combing campaigns of the past century. An interesting... [read full review]
The Aerospace Professional
This book falls into three main sections. The first looks at the small scale German bombing campaigns of the First World War, starting with the Zeppelins and moving on to the Gothas and other large... [read full review]Historyofwar
Target London, as the title suggests, is primarily about wartime raids on London and attacks by terrorists. But early in this well-prepared book there's the story of the German air raid on... [read full review]
Folkstone Herald
Target London recounts the long history of bombardment that London has faced from both overseas and internal threats. In 1915 London suffered its first ever bombing from a zeppelin and with the increases in... [read full review]Jack Ridgill
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About Peter Reese
In his books on the battles at Bannockburn, Flodden and Dunbar, Peter Reese has established a reputation as a gripping and versatile writer of military history. He has written extensively on Anglo-Scottish conflicts, the English Civil Wars and the pioneering days of manned flight. He is also a notable biographer - he has published a critical assessment of Scottish commanders and acclaimed biographies of William Wallace, Samuel Cody and General George Monck.
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