Before The Storm-The Strategic Bomber Offensive Book I (1936-1942)

In Volume One of this landmark series the story of the difficult, dangerous and extremely wasteful early years of RAF Bomber Command’s air war is detailed in full. It is a story of Airmen and Airwomen from all over the world who operated on or maintained primitive out of date Aircraft against a Luftwaffe that was in ascendency. Aircrew were thrown into battle against hopeless odds and needlessly sacrificed because of out dated tactics and a refusal to learn from past errors. Casualties ultimately becoming so unsustainable that the bombers were forced to retreat to night attacks only after crippling daylight losses. It is the often frightening story of decisions, right and wrong, that influenced the course of the strategic air offensive against Germany. 

But above all, it is a story of courage and endurance, of the Airmen and Airwomen whose nightly effort in the skies or on the ground maintained the pressure on Germany and by doing so did so much to sustain the morale of the British and Commonwealth Peoples alongside those now occupied in Europe, at a time when the might of the Third Reich seemed to be everywhere and always victorious. 

The concluding Volume will cover the next stage of the bomber war from 1943-1945.