A review by dale_kooyenga
The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell

5.0

You should only do this book on audio. The print form of the book can't capture the historic clips and the passion in Malcolm Gladwell's books as he tells this story. The book perfectly blended historical stories at the strategic, operational and tactical level. In addition, the strategy relating to bombing has its' own philosophical and moral questions to contemplate. The personality and priorities of General Haywood Hansell are in stark contrast to General Curtis Le May serves as a thought provoking compare and contrast on the responsibilities a nation has when conducting a war. Is it best to bomb relentlessly and invoke maximum death and destruction in a short amount of time in order to end a war as soon as possible? Is humanity then best served because war is shorter? Or is it better to follow Hansell's approach and be slow, deliberate and only target key military components which will lengthen the way but will better spare civilians from the horrors of war? This book is a great story that also clearly leaves the reader with the no win decisions associated with conducting a war with ever increasing horrific weapons. I think I agree with Gladwell's conclusion - Le May won the battle, but Hansell won the long term Air Strategy war.