Fortress Without a Roof; The Allied Bombing of the Third Reich

New York: St. Martin's Press, 1982. First Edition [Stated], First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Good/Good. Frank E. Beresford (Jacket Painting). xi, [3], 322 pages. Illustrations. Bibliography. Index. Minor page soiling. DJ has some wear and soiling. The author was a radio commentator and newscaster. He also worked in public relations for the Douglas Aircraft Company and the Lockheed-California Company. This book tells the story of the British and American bombing missions and features fascinating diary accounts of bomber crews and fighter pilots. Highly informative, exciting and disturbing (the casualties in the air war were appalling). "Fortress Without A Roof" recounts the grim statistics of the air war, including the near-total depletion of the Eighth Air Force on attacks over Schweinfurt and Ploesti. Key to his narrative is the debate involving the emphasis of tactical over strategic bombing, but the British and American campaign to destroy Hitler's Germany from above involved differences of opinion. Chief among them: The British favored city-wide bombing at night, while the Americans were adamant about targeted strikes at daytime. There was another reason for area bombing, as articulated by its biggest champion, RAF general Arthur "Bomber" Harris: "You destroy a factory, and they rebuild it. In six weeks they are in operation again. I kill all their workmen, and it takes 21 years to provide new ones." The best part of "Fortress Without A Roof" is its attention to the command-level aspect of the air war. Also in this narrative are accounts of the air war itself, mostly explaining the human cost involved in the air and on the ground.