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binstonbirchill's review
4.0
The Luftwaffe raid on Coventry marked a shift in the horrors of air warfare, no longer were air raids strictly (at least officially) targeted at “legitimate” military targets, now obliteration was the name of the game. In this biography of a city, focused on the events of November 14, 1940, Taylor describes in great detail the events leading up to the raid and, using numerous survivor’s accounts, he vividly reconstructs what it was like for those who lived through it.
One of the more interesting aspects of raids on cities such as Coventry is that, while the destruction appears total visually, the cities that are terrorized in such a way often retain a certain ability to function, as evidenced by workers returning from the countryside to their places work the following day, climbing over rubble to get there, although many would find their place of employment destroyed, they did return.
A few of the author’s other works look particularly interesting, so I’m sure I’ll be reviewing more from Fredrick Taylor in the future.
One of the more interesting aspects of raids on cities such as Coventry is that, while the destruction appears total visually, the cities that are terrorized in such a way often retain a certain ability to function, as evidenced by workers returning from the countryside to their places work the following day, climbing over rubble to get there, although many would find their place of employment destroyed, they did return.
A few of the author’s other works look particularly interesting, so I’m sure I’ll be reviewing more from Fredrick Taylor in the future.
classicalice123's review
3.0
A really insightful and knowledgeable read. However, I felt at times the author dwelt too much on background details, at the cost of specifics of the Coventry bombing. For example, I really was hoping to find out more about the myth of the "Martyred City", and the conspiracy surrounding the British knowledge of the bombing before it occurred. Although the topic was covered, I was hoping for more discourse on it. However, on the plus side the author's clear local knowledge of the city is fascinating, with the first person testimonies really adding to the book. A great book for covering the overview of the bombing war, but less so on specifica
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