The night of Sunday, December 29, 1940 was one of the worst nights of the Blitz. The relentless German air force dropped three-hundred tons of bombs on London. Over 15,000 fires sprang up and nearly 3,600 civilians were killed. The historical heart of London was the target, and the iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral was very nearly lost to fire—had it not been for the dedicated team of firemen who fought the blaze throughout the night. Ambulance drivers, rescue workers, fighter pilots, and anti-aircraft crews all did their part to save the city, and it’s their story that takes center stage in author and historian Margaret Gaskin’s account of December 29. She employs photographs, first-hand accounts, and news reports to reconstruct the events of that fateful night with special attention to the regular folk who stood fast through the destruction and then emerged from their shelters to help their fellows and put their city back together. Blitz: The Story of December 29, 1940 ties all these historical details together to present a historical account that is truly a story told by those who lived it.

posted Aug 3, 2010 at 3:38PM

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