The Blockade Breakers: The Berlin Airlift

by Helena P. Schrader

On 24 June 1948 the Soviet Union abruptly closed all land and water access to the Western Sectors of Berlin. Over 2 million civilians, dependent on the surrounding territory and the West for food, fuel, and other basic goods, were suddenly cut off from all necessities of life. The Western Allies had the option of withdrawing their garrisons and allowing the Soviet Union to take control of the entire of city, or of trying to supply the city by air. Never in history had 2 million people been supplied exclusively by air before. None of the senior military commanders believed it could be done. But the political leadership in London and Washington insisted that it must be done. A withdrawal from Berlin would discredit the West at a critical moment in history, when the Soviet Union was expanding aggressively across Europe. Worse, it would endanger the political stability and economic recovery of all of Europe. So the largest and most ambitious Airlift in history was set in motion. It began without the West really knowing what the Berliners needed in order to survive - much less how much those supplies weighed. It was launched despite a lack of airlift expertise in theatre or a unified command structure, an almost complete absence of aircraft and aircrew resources in Germany and serious inadequacies in airfields and air traffic control. But once it was took wing, it flew and turned into something that not even its originators and advocators had ever imagined or expected.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics

320 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

Dr. Helena P. Schrader is a highly acclaimed author with a remarkable portfolio of six critically acclaimed non-fiction history books and twenty-one historical novels.

A testament to her storytelling prowess, twelve of her novels have earned one or more prestigious literary awards, with three titles achieving Amazon best-selling status. Most recently, one of her novels earned the 2026 IndieReader Discovery Award for Fiction.

Helena's deep historical insight stems from her PhD in history from the University of Hamburg, where her ground-breaking biography of a leader of the German Resistance to Hitler earned her doctorate. Her rich experiences also include a distinguished career as an American diplomat in Europe and Africa.

Her expertise spans critical historical periods and subjects, including:

Aviation

The Second World War

Ancient Sparta

The Crusader States

Award Highlights:

Helena's dedication to historical accuracy and compelling narratives has been recognized with numerous accolades:

2026 Indie Discovery Award for Fiction: "The Tale of the English Templar."

Chaucer First Place 2025: "The Tale of the English Templar"

Global Book Awards 2025: Political Thriller First Place: "Cold Victory."

Independent Press Award for Political Thrillers 2024: "Cold Peace."
"Runner-Up for BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023" from the Historical Fiction Company: "Cold Peace."

GOLD in the Global Book Awards for 20th Century Historical Fiction 2024: "Moral Fibre"

The Hemingway Award for 20th Century Wartime Fiction from Chanticleer International Book Awards 2021: "Where Eagles Never Flew"

Book Excellence Award for Best Biography 2017: "Envoy of Jerusalem."

Feathered Quill Reviews noted: "Helena Schrader’s in-depth stories, fantastic characters, and ability to write an unforgettable tale make her one of the best authors out there!”

For a comprehensive list of awards and more information, please visit her author website.

Reviews

[Mark Maguire]

Highly recommended!

I had never read into the subject of the Airlift, but this has book has inspired me to further my studies in this field.

The Author provided a balanced, and considered appraisal of the Airlift, from its' inception through to termination, punctuated by a thoroughly-researched political and economic narrative which in turn, amply demonstrates the origins of the Cold War and partitioning of Germany. The Author's account of the moral, and mechanical challenges of supplying war-torn Berlin by air demonstrates the genuine unity amongst the allies to prevent any further degradation of a former enemy in the face of an ascendant ideological enemy in the context of the Soviet Union.


The book is remarkable in that it identifies how formers Allies became embittered enemies in the face of the attempted Soviet land-grab, and asset stripping of a vanquished foe, whom had earlier outraged the World with the horror of it's Nazi indulgences.


A fantastic read which demonstrates how close the World came to a re-ignition of hostilities.

[Lesley-Ann]

Entertaining, interesting and informative. Would highly recommend this book for people interested in the beginning of the Cold War.

[David]

I'm happy to rate this as 5* as the subject is an important one, its significance neglected and the scholarship here is impressive. (I ignore the misprints and mis-spellings that crop up, as well as the few howlers I spotted, including referring to the wartime leader as Sir Winston, some 10 years before he was actually knighted.) The history of the airlift is dealt with meticulously and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the Cold War.

[Stephen Bishop]

This is an excellent, absorbing account of events back in 1948 when the city of Berlin, home to over two million people, was effectively besieged by surrounding Soviet Russian forces. The only means open to the British and USA allies was to fly in essential supplies. So airmen, who three years previously were attempting to bomb Germany into submission, were now providing the means of survival. The book not only clearly describes the actual logistics of the 'Berlin Airlift' but gives, alongside it, the human dimension of those ten tense months before the blockade was eventually lifted.