The Longest Night

By Gavin Mortimer

Book Overview

The first in-depth account of the WWII raid that almost defeated England. Seven months after the Nazi Blitz began in September 1940, London remained the center of the free world's resistance to Hitler's Germany. But-contrary to popular belief-the city's "all-in-together" camaraderie was disintegrating after two devastating Luftwaffe raids. Civil Defenses were chronically short of volunteers and newspapers reported looting, petty crime, and price-gouging. But there was reason for optimism. Churchill remained steadfast, rallying the English. London hadn't been bombed in three weeks, while the RAF shot down 90 German bombers over Britain. It began to appear that the worst could be over. So, when the air raid sirens sounded on the evening of May 10, 1941, Londoners were nonchalant. It soon became clear, however, that this was no ordinary bombing, but a devastating Luftwaffe raid that would eclipse all others.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425205576
• ISBN13: 9780425205570
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.1" x 1.3" x 6.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

The fastest read

This is the gripping true story of a night in 1941 that almost, but not quite, finally brought London to its feet. The damage from the two waves of German heavy bombers hit almost every area of London. The damage was devastating. The blow to the British morale was awful. The fire brigades struggled with broken mains, leaking gas, incendiery bombs and little equipment. With nothing to work with many of the fires were left to burn. But the herosim of others saved St. Margarets at Westminsters, the abbey itself and many books and artifacts all over the city. The usual British practicality and stoicism has the water flowing in most parts of the city within several days and the severely damaged gas mains working well within a week of the raid. What brings the book to life are the real people whose stories are followed throughout the book. From the good times many were having before the sirens started to what they saw the morning after, you are with those people minute by minute. There is alot of information about life during the war, including rationing and the privations. And you learn that living throught he Blitz was not very romantic as it sounds today. What happened that night caused the British people to finally hate their enemy and it filled them with a resolve to pay back German with all the British had. London had a few hours where they almost coudn't take it, but as the last bombers headed toward Germany, I believe that the tide of war had already turned. No one was going to do that to England and get away with it. An exciting, untold story of the Blitz comes alive in this quick read. Anyone who loves WWII history should read about this little episode of the war.