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The Bomber Mafia 2021
The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War is a 2021 book written by Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell. It explores the US Bomber Mafia during World War II, a group that supported precision aerial bombing as a method to achieve victory. Gladwell mentioned that the audiobook version of The Bomber Mafia grew from content featured in his podcast Revisionist History, with the print edition later developed from the audio format. The narrative focuses on the Bomber Mafia, particularly Major General Haywood S. Hansell, and how they pursued a high-altitude precision bombing approach during the war to reduce casualties. When early attempts at implementing this theoretical strategy faced challenges, Major General Hansell was succeeded by Major General Curtis LeMay. LeMay adapted tactics by targeting Japanese cities with napalm in efforts to force surrender. Upon its release, The Bomber Mafia received varied reactions; critics appreciated the audiobook format but found fault with the book's lack of depth and accuracy.
Details
- Publisher
- Little, Brown and Company
- ISBN
- 9780316296618
- Pages
- 256
- Format
- print, audiobook, e-book
