by Henry Probert continues to attract press attention. A little small to read, but in this excellent review Martin Gilbert says “This book is a tribute, not only to Harris, but to the men under his command. Britain can be proud of its bomber force, and of those who kept it in the air night after night with such heavy losses to themselves in the slow but eventually successful destruction of Nazi tyranny.” PRAISE FOR BOMBER HARRIS: HIS LIFE AND TIMES by Air Commodore Henry Probert ‘Bomber Command was a magnificent force and much of this was due to the leadership of Bomber Harris.’ - The Rt. Hon. Lord Chalfont, OBE, MC, PC, in the Journal of the Royal United Services Institute. ‘A formidable wartime leader ... no praise can be too high for the courage of Bomber Command aircrew ... Henry Probert displays an admirable objectivity.’ - Humphrey Wynn in Air Pictorial. ‘Excellent new study ... Probert leaves as an open question the morality of RAF area bombing (600,000 German civilians killed, ten times the British killed), but praises Harris for being an honest and unflinching realist who made no efforts to dodge around the truth - in marked contrast to other top British airmen. An air commodore, formerly director of RAF education, Probert is equally steadfast both in recognising Harris’s shortcomings, and in fighting for vindication of area bombing. This makes for a fair and square yet sympathetic view of Harris.’ - Alistair Horne in The Spectator. ‘As one of Bomber Harris’s ‘Old lags’ to whom the book is dedicated I was delighted that a full and definitive biography had at last been written . . . Having now read Henry Probert’s book, I can unequivocally say that he has done full justice to his subject. His research has been extensive and meticulous . . . Reading this book has not only confirmed my admiration for the man but has considerably enhanced his reputation in my eyes. So why was Harris not fêted and given his due after the war instead of being vilified in some quarters as the author of the suddenly unpopular offensive against German cities? As Probert makes clear in this detailed and lucid account, it was for many complex and inter-related reasons. It was also grossly unfair, principally because it was not Harris’s policy at all but the policy of the Cabinet and the Chiefs of Staff whose directives Harris followed loyally and with devastating effect. This is a fine and memorable book and no one interested in warfare and particularly World War Two should fail to read it. Within its pages there is much to learn and digest. The reader will be immeasurably better informed about one of the hardest and most important campaigns of that war and they will be able to assess Harris as a man and a commander.’ - Sir John Curtiss in Battlefields Review “Air Cdre Probert tackles the still controversial subject of Bomber Command’s ‘Boss’ with humanity and with depth. A compulsive subject that all RAF bomber followers will doubtless have in their sights. Despite its ‘weight’, Greenhill managed to achieve this work at a very reasonable price.” - FlyPast Back to Greenhill Military Book News No. 112 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