Sir Arthur Harris remains one of the most controversial figures of World War II. While criticised and vilified by many, others believe the contribution he and his men made to victory is grossly undervalued. Henry Probert’s new account, Bomber Harris: His Life and Times - The Biography of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Harris, the Wartime Chief of Bomber Command is critical but sympathetic. Based on original research and, for the first time, Harris’s own extensive papers, it gives outstanding insight into a man who combined leadership, professionalism and decisiveness with kindness, humour and generosity. Probert examines Harris’s life from youth in Rhodesia to fighting in World War I, the inter-war years, his two families and his post-war years in South Africa and England. He reveals and analyses how Harris did his job in RAF Bomber Command during World War II, his leadership of men in the face of appalling casualties, his disagreements with higher authority, his role in directing the bombing raids against Germany, most notably at Dresden, and his life and experiences after the war. Bomber Harris provides the most complete and rounded picture of one of the great commanders of modern times and an outstanding military personality of World War II. Air Commodore Henry Probert was formerly Director of RAF Education and Head of the Air Historical Branch. He assisted with the in-house history of the RAF role in the Falklands campaign, and is the author of High Commanders of the RAF and The Forgotten Air Force, a history of the RAF role in the war against Japan. BOMBER HARRIS: A NEW LOOK Some might think they have heard all there is to say about Sir Arthur Harris. Air Commodore Henry Probert, former Head of the RAF’s Historical Branch and author of the new Harris biography, explains how he has been able to cover a lot of new ground: “Certainly much has been written and spoken about Sir Arthur Harris in relation to the Second World War bomber offensive, but misunderstandings, criticisms, even castigations persist. I have long been aware of these and of the harm they have done to his reputation and to that of those who served in Bomber Command. Yet thus far he has only one biography, written by Dudley Saward during his lifetime and published after his death. Sadly that book has many omissions and is based on very restricted research. So, as one who vividly remembers the wartime days and met Harris in his later years, I am now attempting to paint a much wider picture. I am privileged to have been allowed the first full access to his demi-official files and other records (now at the most helpful RAF Museum) as well as to the considerable private papers still held by members of his family. Throughout they have given me the sort of unstinting support which is essential to a biographer, talking to me about the family history and helping me ensure the accuracy of what I have written. Often thanks to them I have been in touch with many others possessing Harris connections, and often one contact has led to others. As a result, for example, I have visited Harris’s old school, met his friends from Zimbabwe, and even been to one of his old stamping grounds, South Africa. Appeals to some of the old comrades’ associations - including the Bomber Command and Aircrew Associations - have also been fruitful, resulting in letters conveying invaluable recollections and other material. Conversations with senior survivors from the wartime days have helped too, including the late Professors R. V. Jones and Harry Hinsley, together with a number that have been recorded by the RAF Historical Society over recent years. Certain German historians have also given valuable assistance. Where appropriate I have drawn too on the Public Record Office, on published books and newspapers and on interviews. As a result, while re-telling and assessing the Bomber Command story only briefly, I have tried to concentrate on how Harris actually did his wartime job, the ways in which he was portrayed by the media and attempted to influence them, his methods of leadership, his relations with key personalities - not least Churchill and the Americans - and how he coped with the various controversies that arose. At the same time I have covered his earlier life and experience, his post-war excursion into the shipping business, the thirty-year retirement period in Goring on Thames, and his involvement in the continuing debates about his wartime role and the way he was treated afterwards. I hope the end product, intended both as critical and sympathetic, will be seen as a proper tribute to one of the great military commanders of our time.” Back to Greenhill Military Book News No. 107 Table of Contents Back to Greenhill Military Book News List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Greenhill Books This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com