A History of Bombing

A daring literary and historical look at the ideologies of war and violence, by the author of "Exterminate All the Brutes" . On November 1, 1911, over the North African oasis Tagiura, Lieutenant Giulio Cavotti leaned out of the cockpit of his primitive aircraft and, dropping a Haasen hand grenade, initiated one of the twentieth century's most devastating military tactics: aerial bombing.The bomb shatters history into hundreds of fragments scattered throughout time in this fascinating book from Sven Lindqvist, author of the acclaimed "Exterminate All the Brutes". More than just a history, it is an overview and interrogation of the cultural and political dimensions - and the devastating effects - of war from above. Forming a labyrinth of events that illustrates the genocidal fantasies underlying so much conflict and the devastation wrought by aerial bombing, A History of Bombing links the total war of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War with centuries-past colonial warfare.Mining such diverse topics as military history and strategy, the evolution of international law, turn-of-the-century science fiction, and the civilian experience during wartime, Lindqvist has produced a rich meditation on the past and the future of human conflict.