Bomber Harris: His Life and Times The Biography of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Harris,the Wartime Chief of
Air Commodore Probert (former director of RAF Education and the  RAF Historical branch) has written what will probably become the  most comprehensive biography of Arthur "Bomber" Harris. Dudley  Seward's Bomber Harris (o.p.) may be more readable, but Probert  gives a more complete analysis of Harris in peace and in war. As  head of RAF Bomber Command, Harris became one of the most  controversial figures of World War II. While most of the men he  commanded respected him, Harris's tactics frequently clashed  with those of Churchill and other Allied military and civilian  leaders; his advocacy of saturation bombing and the infamous  fire raids on Dresden and other German civilian targets caused  much debate then and now. Probert uses the personal papers of  Harris and other sources to detail every aspect of Harris's  life, from his birth in Rhodesia to his experiences in World War  I, service in the Middle East, and appointment as commander in  chief of Bomber Command in 1942. Historians and scholars will  find this work useful, and the numerous sources in the  bibliography provide a solid base for further research.  Recommended for larger public libraries, academic libraries, and  military collections. David M. Alperstein, Queens Borough P.L.,  Jamaica, N.Y.Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.