
The Bomber Mafia
A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
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Narrated by:
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Malcolm Gladwell
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By:
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Malcolm Gladwell
About this listen
In The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War, Malcolm Gladwell, author of New York Times best sellers including Talking to Strangers and host of the podcast Revisionist History, uses original interviews, archival footage, and his trademark insight to weave together the stories of a Dutch genius and his homemade computer, a band of brothers in Central Alabama, a British psychopath, and pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard. As listeners hear these stories unfurl, Gladwell examines one of the greatest moral challenges in modern American history.
Most military thinkers in the years leading up to World War II saw the airplane as an afterthought. But a small band of idealistic strategists had a different view. This “Bomber Mafia” asked: What if precision bombing could, just by taking out critical choke points - industrial or transportation hubs - cripple the enemy and make war far less lethal?
In Revisionist History, Gladwell reexamines moments from the past and asks whether we got it right the first time. In The Bomber Mafia, he employs all the production techniques that make Revisionist History so engaging, stepping back from the bombing of Tokyo, the deadliest night of the war, and asking, “Was it worth it?” The attack was the brainchild of General Curtis LeMay, whose brutal pragmatism and scorched-earth tactics in Japan cost thousands of civilian lives but may have spared more by averting a planned US invasion.
Things might have gone differently had LeMay’s predecessor, General Haywood Hansell, remained in charge. As a key member of the Bomber Mafia, Hansell’s theories of precision bombing had been foiled by bad weather and human error. When he and Curtis LeMay squared off for a leadership handover in the jungles of Guam, LeMay emerged victorious, leading to the darkest night of World War II.
The Bomber Mafia is a riveting tale of persistence, innovation, and the incalculable wages of war.
©2021 Malcolm Gladwell (P)2021 Malcolm GladwellCritic reviews
“The Bomber Mafia is a parable written for the age of technological disruption.” (The Times, London)
"Gladwell is a wonderful storyteller. When he is introducing characters and showing them in conflict, The Bomber Mafia is gripping. I enjoyed this short book thoroughly, and would have been happy if it had been twice as long." (The New York Times)
“An innovative audio book with music, sound effects and archival clips. Gladwell’s easy conversational style works well, and his admiration for the Bomber Mafia shines through.” (The Washington Post)
My only complaint is how short it is!
A harrowing tale of an evolving dream
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I loved Gladwell’s last book, talking to strangers, and felt that this follow-up couldn’t possibly compare, but how wrong I was.
From start to finish, this was a compelling account of a part of history that is often neglected and unexplored. The best new book I have read of 2021 so far.
A captivating book from beginning to end
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Excellent
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But the presentation is really next generation audible entertainment, the angles in the narrative and the story telling is brilliant.
Great audible presentation
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Fantastic!
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Fascinating, horrific, yet hugely thought provoking.
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The Norden Optical Bombsight was a HUGELY expensive 'white elephant'. The RAF had been using more accurate electronic methods for years, culminating in 'Radar Bombing' using the "Oboe" system.
A short flight through WW2 US bombing wows.
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Very well produced
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Always a pleasure
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It’s great history - thx!
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