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The Bomber Mafia
- A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
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Publisher's Summary
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.
What the critics say
“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)
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What listeners say about The Bomber Mafia
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- Inner Child
- 2021-06-24
Important, and fascinating history.
The story is good and well told. Some of his opinions are thought provoking , but ultimately only one man's opinion. I bristle when he talks about how society thinks and/or feels.
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- Michael
- 2021-11-10
Great Listening Experience
Loadwell has certainly perfected the art of audio books, and while this is a very interesting story, I don't think it will list among his most thought provoking ones.
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- Brian White
- 2021-06-28
Not my favourite MG book but still worth a listen
Malcolm Gladwell is a brilliant story teller. Anyone who takes the time to listen to what he has to say expands their view of the World. All his books are worth a listen, especially when he is the narrator. If you like his books you might want to check out Christopher Hitchens, he's way more controversial and in your face but just as good.
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- gail
- 2021-05-07
Fascinating
Fascinating to hear, often from the military men themselves, this WW II story which has repercussions today.
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- Kimberley Ashworth
- 2021-05-23
Was well written and informative!
Wish it had been longer. And had hoped he'd have gone into more detail regarding the Enola Gay payload. But otherwsise another great read.
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- justin reinauer
- 2023-01-17
Loved it
It was such an amazing listen, the real life interviews with such a great add with An amazing insight
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- PDubya
- 2021-06-17
Nice Surprise
Let me admit I’m a Gladwell fan - his books and podcasts have been faves of mine for a long time. This book did not disappoint - it walks the line between podcast and text and at first I thought it was the former and not the latter. As I proceeded through the story however I the novel emerged more so - less podcast if that makes sense. Regardless, the only bad thing about this novel was that it was not long enough and I wanted more - that’s it. Do yourself a favour and listen to this story - riveting history that is amazing and terrifying. Looking forward to his next novel.
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- Lee Alexander
- 2021-06-11
Morality in Precision Bombing? Who needs it !
Gladwell does an excellent job in giving us insights on the people, their philosophies and their horrific technologies that deliver mass destruction during the second world war. Fascinating, disturbing and spellbinding.
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- John Cosgrove
- 2021-07-07
easy listen
great balance of history and entertainment, technology and philosophy. thoroughly enjoyed listening to the history unfold
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- Peter MacLeod
- 2022-10-12
The beat described here goes forward
The ongoing battle in Ukraine shows how mass bombing emboldens its intended victims into highly motivated resistance. This book reveals the birth and growth of how aerial warfare was seen as an alternative to more traditional wars. We can see how those concepts affect conflicts today.
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