[V76]≫ Read Free The destruction of Dresden/David Irving ; with a foreword by Sir Robert Saundby Morley war classics David John Cawdell Irving 9780705700306 Books

The destruction of Dresden/David Irving ; with a foreword by Sir Robert Saundby Morley war classics David John Cawdell Irving 9780705700306 Books

Download As PDF : The destruction of Dresden/David Irving ; with a foreword by Sir Robert Saundby Morley war classics David John Cawdell Irving 9780705700306 Books

The destruction of Dresden/David Irving ; with a foreword by Sir Robert Saundby Morley war classics David John Cawdell Irving 9780705700306 Books

In this day of alternate facts, it is to Mr Irving's credit that original sources are credited and the truth is available.


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The destruction of Dresden/David Irving ; with a foreword by Sir Robert Saundby Morley war classics David John Cawdell Irving 9780705700306 Books Reviews

There are several interesting bits of irony concerning David Irving's "The Destruction of Dresden" (1963). It was written well before the topic became mainstream, thanks largely to Irving's recent libel suit against a woman, who accused him of being a Holocaust denier and introduced the alleged inaccuracies in this book as part of her defense. Since then both Marshall De Bruhl and Frederick Taylor have published their own books on the subject; and ironically it is Irving's account of the February 1945 bombing raids that provides the most objective treatment.

De Bruhl and Taylor mostly seek to justify the bombings and introduce all sorts of irrelevancy that they think might support their position. Back in 1963 Irving showed little of his current pro-3rd Reich and anti-British bias. So "The Destruction of Dresden" is mostly confined to essential points about the raids.

The single most important point being that Dresden's anti-aircraft batteries had been withdrawn from the city in 1944. It was a cultural/historical center and still a virgin target (the Allies had never considered it important enough militarily to bomb). And these weapons were needed to provide air defense to their industrial cities and as anti-tank weapons on the Eastern Front. Indeed both the target marking crews and bomber crews were amazed at the unprecedented ease of their bomb runs as they encountered neither by flak nor enemy fighters while over the city. The lack of defenses would foster the myth that Dresden had been declared an "open city".

Irving makes the case that the raids resulted from the British desire to placate the Russians, who were only 80 miles from the city at the time while also impressing them with the damage inflicting potential of tangling with British and US airpower. Although Dresden did have some ancillary war industry, its only real significance to the German war effort was as a communications center and a marshalling area for the railroads. Most of these activities were on the outskirts of the city, while the raids were concentrated on the City Center, an area full of refugees. Despite the extensive damage and loss of life, the railroads and the industries themselves were relatively undamaged and soon back in operation. And the raids did little to aid the Russians who did not occupy the city until the day Germany actually surrendered. British and US air commanders were soon running for political cover as both Churchill and Hap Arnold were subsequently critical of the concept of the raids (civilian population terror bombing) and the choice of Dresden as a target.

As this was Irving's first book it lacks the readability of his subsequent stuff. Definitely dry reading unless you are really into the subject.

At the libel trial a lot was made of Irving's deceptive speculation about the casualty totals from the raids. Yet in the 1989 printing (although probably not in the original run) Irving includes a disclaimer about his estimate of 135,000; calling it higher than the generally accepted 35,000 and lower than Goebbel's claim of over 200,000. The accusations of bias at the trial seem to apply more to his recent public statements that to the content of this particular book.

While people have latched onto the denial accusation, Irving's actual denial (at least until he began pandering to fringe groups) has been about the degree of Hitler's knowledge of the extermination camps. Although I think this wishful thinking on his part, it hardly amounts to a denial that the Holocaust actually occurred.

The other area that fits into the denial framework is Irving's assertion that Auschwitz was not an extermination camp but rather the most brutal of Himmler's slave-labor camps and the one with the highest mortality rate. Again, while this is unlikely it hardly amounts to a denial of the Holocaust. It simply challenges the accepted classification for Auschwitz; contending that it was more like Dachau than like Chelmno or Treblinka.

In fact on page 79 of this Dresden book he writes about the city's recent influx of refugees "An exodus of five million Germans from Eastern Germany had begun, an exodus voluntary as yet, but destined with the end of the war to yield to the most brutally enforced mass expulsion in the history of Europe, though dwarfed by the Nazis' genocidal treatment of the Jews".
A bit more battered than expected
American and English terrorism in action for no strategically defensible reason
as described, shipped fast!
Love reading about WW2 especially the Pacific war. ( as long as it s history not fiction) . Could nt find a copy of this book locally ( have most books by Irvin) . Well I finally read it and as always with Irvin, I loved it. Malta GC took quite a beating in WW2. My father was under it at 14 years old and most of the time was out of the shelter to watch the dogfights raging overhead, much to the chargin of my grandmother. His father gave his part with the ARP, so I heard quite a lot of stories growing up. What upsets me now is the nearly total disinterest of what happened then, by our younger generation, what our folk went through. Well i guess this progress!!!!. Anyway loved the book,.
Refreshing to hear the other side of the story for a change, from an Englishman no less. The truth is finally starting to slowly come out.
Some people are just beyond words. You tube him, that's how I heard of him. GENIUS.BUY THIS BOOK! NOW! PLEASE!
In this day of alternate facts, it is to Mr Irving's credit that original sources are credited and the truth is available.