"Bomber" Harris; the Authorised Biography

by Dudley Saward

The authorized biography of the controversial advocate of saturation bombing of Germany during World War II.

Genres: World War II, Nonfiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published June 25, 1984

Reviews

[Mark Leeman]

I found this to be an informative read, but there are problems with this book that I’ll explain later. For anyone picking up this book, expecting a full insight in to Harris the man, you will be disappointed. This is largely a military history.
I have read many books about WW2 and Bomber Harris is always a name that is associated with controversy, particularly in relation to the bombing of major cities. I wanted to find out more.
There can be no doubt that Harris was a man of many talents, and there are a long list of credits to his name, especially in the early development (post WW1) of bombing by aircraft. The author explains that Harris had immense practical experience, having commanded eight squadrons in his service career, he developed bombing techniques which were the basis of modern bombing methods as early as 1922, who introduced the principle of night bombing, and who, as early as 1936, laid the foundation of the future bombing force. He was also an excellent leader of men, generally admired and respected throughout Bomber Command and the Chiefs of Staff, including Churchill. He also was also hugely respected by Eisenhower and US colleagues.
Turning to the impact of Bomber Command, and the controversy that surrounds them. The author explains that we must not lose sight of the fact that between 1940 and 1943, the only means we had of taking the fight direct to Germany was through bombing. There can also be no doubt that, without the impact of Bomber Command, the war may well have been lost or at worst, prolonged over a much longer duration to the cost of many more allied lives. The author also points out, through direct evidence, that decisions to bomb (e.g. Dresden) we’re made by the chiefs of staff, and sanctioned by Churchill and his coalition partners, including Labour colleagues. This last point is important. To me, Harris deserves our utmost respect and it is a huge shame, given the immense cost in lives and sheer bravery of those who flew the bombers, that Bomber Command never received a campaign medal. The author blames this squarely on the post war Labour Govt, and cites his reasons. If this is true, then I hope that Attlee and co are hanging their heads in shame.
The one disappointing aspect of the book was the lack of personal insight to the man himself. The book is really a military history, rather than a biography. When it does touch on his personal life, it is patchy. For example, there are references (in quoted papers from the likes of Churchill etc) to concerns about his health. The author ignores this! What health problems did he have? Also, the author refers to the love he had for his wife and daughter. Imagine my surprise when, on doing further research, I found out that Harris had a first marriage that produced three children to which there is absolutely no reference. One of these children went on to be a famous children’s author. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to see an official biography of your father to which you are completely erased. To me, this personal aspect of the man is a serious omission from what is otherwise an informative book.

[Stephen Penner]

Out of a 100 or so history books I have read mostly Napoleonic Wars and WW2 this ranks as a top 3 in being biased. The author makes it out that Bomber Command almost single handily beat Nazi Germany. Never mind 20 million dead from the Soviet Union alone and the millions on the ground required to make up a second front in France to ultimately defeat Germany. What do you expect from an authorized biography!!

[Matthew Eyre]

Fascinating account of the "controversial" airman, and of great value in that it predates the John Thaw film that kickstarted the revisionist view of Harris. A revision that was completely unecessaary anyway, given the vileness of the Nazi regime and the post war squeamishness of how effective (ie deadly) had been the campaigns. Unusually I will just quote what the great man said himself "I do not personally regard the whole of the remaining cities of Germany as worth the bones of one British Grenadier" (Arthur Travers Harris, in a letter dated 29 March 1945 to Deputy Air Chief Norman Bottomley) Harsh but true....

[Chris Tschirhart]

Hero or Butcher you decide, but not until you read this book.