Bomber Harris

"Bomber Harris: Sir Arthur Harris' Despatch on War Operations, 1942-1945", edited by Martin Mace, presents readers with a primary source document of considerable historical weight: the official despatch submitted by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris at the conclusion of his tenure as head of RAF Bomber Command. This is not a conventional biography or narrative history, but rather a carefully presented reproduction of Harris' own official account of the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, supplemented by editorial framing that helps contextualise the material for a modern audience.

Harris commanded Bomber Command from 1942 until the end of the Second World War in Europe, a period during which the force grew from a relatively modest instrument of war into a massive strategic weapon capable of delivering devastating raids on German cities and industrial targets. The despatch itself was written as an official report to the Air Ministry, summarising the strategy, operations, and outcomes of the bombing campaign under his leadership. As such, it offers a rare opportunity to read Harris' own justification and explanation of the campaign in his own words, rather than filtered through the interpretations of later historians.

Martin Mace's role as editor is to present this document in an accessible format, and the book succeeds in making what could be a dry official record into a readable and informative resource. The despatch covers the technical and operational aspects of Bomber Command's work, including the development of tactics, the introduction of new aircraft and navigational aids, and the shifting priorities of the campaign as the war progressed. Readers gain insight into how Harris viewed the effectiveness of area bombing, his rationale for prioritising certain targets, and his assessment of the campaign's contribution to the eventual Allied victory.

One of the strengths of this volume is its unfiltered access to Harris' perspective. Bomber Command's campaign remains one of the most debated aspects of the Second World War, with ongoing discussion about the morality and military effectiveness of area bombing, particularly regarding raids on cities such as Hamburg and Dresden. By presenting the despatch largely as Harris wrote it, Mace allows readers to engage directly with the arguments and justifications offered by the man most closely associated with the campaign, rather than relying solely on secondary interpretations.

The book will appeal most strongly to those with a serious interest in military history, particularly readers who wish to understand the strategic thinking behind Bomber Command's operations from the perspective of its commanding officer. Academic researchers and students of the Second World War will find this a useful primary source, conveniently republished and made accessible without the need to seek out archival records. The technical detail, including statistics on aircraft losses, bombing tonnage, and target selection, will be of particular interest to those studying the operational history of the RAF during this period.

General readers with a casual interest in the war may find the despatch format more challenging than a traditional narrative history, as official reports naturally lack the storytelling elements found in popular history books. The prose reflects the formal, matter-of-fact style typical of wartime military documents, which some readers may find less engaging than a more narrative-driven account. However, this is an inherent characteristic of the source material rather than a shortcoming of Mace's editorial work.

Overall, this volume serves as a valuable addition to the literature on RAF Bomber Command and the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. By making Harris' despatch widely available, Martin Mace has provided historians and enthusiasts alike with direct access to an important historical document. The book is best approached as a research resource and primary source rather than a conventional history book, and it should be evaluated on those terms. For those seeking to understand how Harris himself framed and justified the campaign he led, this collection offers a clear, if formally written, account straight from the source.