During the night of February 13, 1945, the Bomber Command of the Royal Air force launched an all-out attack on Dresden. Three raids later--including one by American Flying Fortresses--Dresden was rubble. More than 35,000 people lost their lives; countless treasures of art and architecture were demolished.
What did it accomplish? Was it necessary? Why was it done? Alexander McKee tackles these questions and lets survivors give their answers.

The result is a gripping account of what it was like to be in the flaming streets and smoke filled cellars of Dresden and in the cockpits and gun turrets of the warplanes overhead.

http://www.librarything.com/work/1731647/workdetails ( )

One of a number of books on the firebombing of Dresden in February 1945; it was written in 1983, and, subsequent events such as the reunification of Germany, and the rebuilding of the Frauenkirche (and I am proud to have played a part in that project) may well have rendered parts out of date. That said, it's often interesting to read such books, even with the benefit of hindsight. This is a Book club edition, but I am sure it was given to me by a friend who knew of my interest in, and visits to, the wonderful city on the Elbe

A riveting story of the saturation bombing of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe referred to as "the Venice of the East", much of it told from interviews with a host of eye witnesses including Allied Airmen, German civilians and refugees passing through while fleeing from the carnage of the Eastern Front. It is interesting to note that the author got his Visa to enter behind the "iron curtain" on the pretext of visiting his wife's relations: if he had been caught interviewing survivors of the saturation bombing of Dresden he might well have frozen to death in a Siberian gulag instead of publishing this book.

Kurt Vonnegut's 'Slaughter House 5' worked as an interesting counterpoint on a similar theme, for this reviewer. ( )