Ethics and Airpower in World War II: The British Bombing of German Cities

On the night of 27th July 1943, about 800 British bombers attacked the German city of Hamburg, creating a fire-storm that destroyed almost four sqare miles and killed 40,000 people. The raid on Hamburg was part of a British wartime strategy known as area bombing. Over 500,000 civilians lost their lives as a result and another million received serious injury. This book analyzes the attitudes which various people and groups in Britain took toward this strategy as it was unfolding. It pays particular attention to the small band of dissenters against such bombing. At the same time it offers its own moral critique of area bombing, not just on traditional ethical grounds, but also in terms of its dubious military rationale. The book is an attempt to understand how apparently humane individuals could condone area bombing, and to show what lessons it carries for people today. Stephen Garrett is the author of From Potsdam to Poland , Bangkok Journal and Ideals and Reality .