Recap by member Peter Werner.
Book Club members (including 2 new members) met in the Club on Tuesday 28 October, over a glass of wine, to discuss the October reading: “The Bomber Mafia” by author Malcolm Gladwell.
This story, set in WW2, is a case study which explored the view that long-range heavy bomber aircraft in large numbers, were more effective in ending a war. The “Bomber Mafia” was a section of U.S. military pilots who failed initially in their wish to achieve pinpoint targeting precision, such as the strategic bombing used in Europe, and eventually reverted to more destructive firebombing campaigns of entire cities in Japan.
The book also examines the moral dilemma of using these tactics, particularly the mass firebombing of Tokyo and other Japanese cities and the use of atomic bombs which resulted in huge civilian casualties.
The book was well received by the majority of participants with one notable exception. In the discussions, it was, however, noted that there appeared to be a probable lack of detail and factual accuracy.
Notwithstanding, the majority of Book Club members welcomed the book’s insight into the bombing methods employed, which gave them a much better understanding of eventual defeat for the enemy, e.g. the mass firebombing of many Japanese cities was probably more instrumental in Japanese capitulation than the atomic bombs dropped on 2 cities.
The average mean score for this book was a high 7.3, signifying “an excellent read”
3 Word summaries included:
Winners moral dilemma / Aim of Bombing / Moral dilemmas shelved / warfare scientific approach / unconventional cowardly conduct.
Our next Book Club gathering will be on Tuesday 25 November at 17:30 in the Members’ Bar. This month’s read is “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. If you’d like to join, please email [email protected].
