A History of Bombing

Lindqvist, Sven

"The bomb shatters history into hundreds of fragments scattered throughout time in this new book from Sven Lindqvist, author of "Exterminate All the Brutes." Divided into 399 sections with 22 "entrances," or thematic ways of approaching the book, The History of Bombing moves the reader backward and forward in time, traveling from section to section as it builds a critical history of violence. Primarily concerned with civilian experiences during wartime, Lindqvist utilizes military history, pulp literature, and an analysis of international law in its capacity to mitigate wartime harms inflicted on civilians. Forming a labyrinth of events that illustrates the genocidal fantasies underlying so much conflict and the devastation wrought by aerial bombing, A History of Bombing links the total war of World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam War with centuries-past colonial warfare."--Jacket.