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(More customer reviews)This is a tough book to review, and I hope you will be patient in reading my input. I'll start with what I perceive to be the book's problems, and then move on to what I admire most about it.
First of all, Hermann Knell is not a very talented crafter of prose. His style is frequently clunky, and the book is far from eloquent. Unwisely, Knell decides to synopsize the entire history of aerial bombardment, and this is a mistake. Others have done it better and more thoroughly.
But when Knell finally gets to discussing the RAF bombardment of the city of Wuerzburg, Germany, in 1945, this text comes into its own in a very touching way. You will not find a nonfiction book with a bigger heart. Knell survived the bombing of his hometown of Wuerzburg, and then nobly devoted years and years of his life as an amateur historian trying to understand why, militarily, the attack took place. (At the time of the bombing, leaders on all sides already knew that the German state was doomed, collapsing, and on the verge of surrender.) I won't tell you the outcome of that quest, but it might well bring tears to your eyes. Knell's levelheadedness and openmindedness are to be commended.
"To Destroy a City" is the heartfelt rumination of a young German man who lived through the entire experience (pre-bombing; the attack; the immediate post-attack period; and the rebuilding of the city). In this soulful journey that probes the guilt and innocence of both the attackers and the attacked, Knell's personal experience and anguish bring a feeling and a voice that no dispassionate professional historian could match. And this voice makes the book a must-read for those interested in military history and ethics.
Anyone who asks himself/herself questions about the proper use of military power against unarmed civilians in times of war will find food for thought here. Given the current U. S. presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, "To Destroy a City" is mightily relevant book.
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