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Leo McKinstry
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Publisher | John Murray | ||
ISBN | 978-071952353 | ||
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Steve
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Synopsis
The Spitfire and the Lancaster were the two RAF weapons of victory in the Second World War, but the glamour of the fighter has tended to overshadow the performance of the heavy bomber. Yet without the Lancaster, Britain would never have been able to take the fight to the German homeland. Highlights the scale of the bomber's achievements, including the famous Dambusters attacks. With its vast bomb bay, ease of handling and surprising speed, the mighty Lancaster transformed the effectiveness of the Bomber Command. Whilst addressing the political controversy surrounding the bombing offensive against Germany, Leo McKinstry also weaves individual tales into this compelling narrative. Rich characters are brought to life, such as Roy Chadwick the designer, who taught himself engineering at night school and Sir Arthur Harris, the austere head of the Bomber Command. This is a rich saga, a story of triumph over disaster and the history of an iconic plane.
Review
As outlined in the subtitle, this is an account of the development and career of this particular plane and its part in the British war effort during the mid 20th century. It seems very thorough, covering both famous episodes - such as the Dambusters raids, and less well-known aspects, such as the disagreements over its design and the gambles taken to make the first planes.
It has been extensively based on archives, memoirs and recorded interviews and includes a lot of detail from these documents and accounts. The length (over 500 pages) could be daunting if you weren't particularly interested in the history of the 2nd World War. In addition, I found the limited number of paragraphs, often only 2 or 3 to a page made it difficult to read.
People in my generation can only experience this war second-hand via accounts in films and books like this. In my family, my paternal grandfather was in the wartime navy and my aunts father-in-law was a Canadian rear-gunner in a Lancaster. They both died in their 70s and all we know now is what they chose to tell to my parents generation about their experience. Some of the experiences of the air crews included in the later chapters give an insight into what my uncle's dad went through.
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