Inferno by Keith Lowe INFERNO: THE DEVASTATION OF HAMBURG, 1943 by Keith Lowe Published by Viking 22 February 2007 Click to buy Inferno Review, written by Alex Matthews If you take a look in most book shops either at home or abroad, it is likely that there will be a comprehensive collection of Second World War volumes varying from real-life accounts to fictional novels. In his book, 'Inferno the devastation of Hamburg 1943', Keith Lowe conveys the events that occurred during a hot July when allied air raids virtually destroyed the German city of Hamburg. Written in a cohesive and matter-of-fact manner, Lowe draws us into the lives of the British bomber pilot right through to the ordinary German housewife on the street. Taken from remarkable accounts, Lowe has drawn upon first hand interviews and past publications - indicated with regular scatterings of footnote references and a detailed bibliography - to produce an incredible account of the destruction manifested throughout an intensive four day bombing campaign. Lowe begins with a brief history lesson giving us details of the economic development of Hamburg, its ties with the western world and its role during Nazi occupation. Who knew that so many 'Hamburgers' were in fact direct descendants from America and Britain? The offensive planned for Hamburg by the British and America air forces saw the beginning of a new tactical technique previously unused during WW2; dropping silver strips of foil to block enemy radar known as 'window' was deployed. Bomber aimer, Leonard Bradfield remarked that "it was absolutely fantastic". The allied forces dubbed the Hamburg mission 'operation Gomorrah' - an apt name considering the eventual outcome. In a perhaps unusual twist, Lowe describes the devastation of Hamburg from a remarkably balanced perspective. The first hand accounts from the British and American air forces detailing their excitement, apprehension and challenges facing them on their missions is often told through terrifying and explicit descriptions. Balanced with eye-witness stories from German civilians and German fighter pilots, we are given a very fair portrayal of this horrendous event. The climax emerges with a mix of horror and awe. The story of an ordinary mother escaping with her young son from a bomb shelter into the blistering inferno's surrounding the streets of Hamburg is incredible. The amount of incendiary bombs combined with the hot July weather of 1943 created a series of fires gradually building to produce a 'firestorm' - a heat so fierce that tarmac began to melt and human remains found after the event resembled charred tree stumps. Bomb shelters and cellars usually safe during an air raid became furnaces and many died from inhaling deadly carbon monoxide within such a confined space. Those who risked the streets had to contend with falling masonry and the visual horrors of seeing fellow citizens dying in front of them. Peppered amongst the text are sections of photographs depicting Hamburg before the war and the city post 'Gomorrah' with some harrowing images. Keith Lowe has produced a compelling read which is both informative and insightful. The stories and memories of the survivors on both sides of the war are revealing, often very moving and prevent this book from becoming another history lesson. The reader is left with a difficult decision of whether operation Gomorrah was entirely ethical when such a huge amount of civilian deaths occurred over such an intense period. This dilemma is echoed in Lowe's final chapter where he again offers a very balanced perspective albeit slightly rambled.   ~ # ~