Air Battle of the Ruhr

by Alan W. Cooper

a very good copy in good DJ, previous owners name on ffep.

Genres: Military History, World War II, History, Aviation

Hardcover

First published November 27, 2000

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very poorly written and you have no information as to where he got the information to write the book. There are NO footnotes/endnotes or bibliography so there is no way for someone to verify anything that he states in this book.

[Mark Moxley-Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed account of the campaign, covering every raid. Loads of quotes from participants on both sides. A few useful photos. Very well written.

[Alistair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful exploration of the role played by Bomber Command from March to July 1943. The first four chapters discuss the history and evolution of bomber command, and the importance of the Ruhr valley to Germany.

To say this book is detailed is an understatement. It discusses every raid that was conducted in this period. For each one there is a breakdown of the number of aircraft and aircrew, the bomb tonnage dropped, weather, the techniques used (OBOE or H2S), and also includes quotes from airmen who participated in the raid. The importance of the targets is discussed as is the total damage caused. In addition the book discusses the mine-laying operations and the non-Ruhr missions which were conducted.

To highlight the detail provided, of the 224 pages (excluding the index) 137 are devoted to the raids themselves with the remainder devoted to the appendices.

Overall it is a wonderful primer for Bomber Command over this period, however it is definitely targeted towards the WWII history buff with an intense interest in Bomber Commands operations. If you are after a narrative-style history of bomber command, this isn't the book for you.