100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฟ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery ๐Ÿš€ Thank you for supporting our 100% NZ-owned bookstore โค๏ธ

The Bomber Mafia

A Tale of Innovation and Obsession
4.03 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 62,207 ratings, 6,055 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell explores the innovative group of World War II Air Force strategists who sought to revolutionize warfare through precision bombing. The book delves into their dream of surgical strikes to reduce civilian casualties and contrasts it with the harsh realities of total war.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2400
Elsewhere:
$2600
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are fascinated by history, innovation, and the ethical dilemmas faced during wartime. It provides a gripping exploration of how a group of idealistic American bomber pilots attempted to revolutionise warfare, blending compelling storytelling with deep insights.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell presents a gripping examination of the unintended consequences of technological advancements during wartime. At its heart, this compelling narrative weaves together an intricate tapestry of historical events and individual stories that span decades and continents.

The book delves into the moral quandaries and ethical debates surrounding the development and use of bombing technology during the Second World War. Gladwell introduces readers to a motley group of characters, including a cadre of maverick pilots driven by idealism, the relentless and strategic commander of the US Air Force, a brilliant yet reclusive Dutch engineer who constructs his own computer, and a squad of pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard.

As these diverse figures converge around the idea of precision bombing, the story unfolds to reveal both the harrowing and fascinating aspects of this technological pursuit. Gladwell also examines the chillingly pragmatic vision of Winston Churchill's closest confidant and explores the relentless quest for progress that ultimately leads to unexpected moral dilemmas and catastrophic outcomes.

With his signature storytelling prowess, Gladwell vividly recounts one of the bloodiest attacks of the war, spotlighting how aspirations for innovation and control can spiral into unforeseen chaos. Through meticulous research and engaging prose, The Bomber Mafia encourages readers to rethink their assumptions about technological advancements and their impact on humanity. The book serves as a stark reminder that even the most well-intentioned innovations can have grave and unpredictable consequences.

The Bomber Mafia is not just a historical exploration but also a profound reflection on the boundaries between human ingenuity, ethical responsibility, and the harsh realities of technological progress. This riveting and thought-provoking book is a must-read for anyone interested in history, military strategy, and the complex interplay between technology and morality.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell is regarded as a brilliantly told and remarkable work, bringing historical figures vividly back to life with gripping narratives. It addresses significant moral challenges of the Second World War and is written with an engaging and thought-provoking style, making complex choices accessible. Gladwell's storytelling is described as confident, eloquent, and with a flair for lateral thinking, making the book a compelling read.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141998374

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 June 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 202g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Malcolm Gladwell is the author of six international bestsellers- The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, David and Goliath and most recently, Talking to Strangers. He is the host of the podcast Revisionist History, a staff writer at The New Yorker, and co-founder of the audio company Pushkin Industries. He graduated from the University of Toronto, Trinity College, with a degree in history. Gladwell was born in England and grew up in rural Ontario. He lives in New York.

Also by Malcolm Gladwell

View all
  • Revenge of the Tipping Point
    Twenty-five years after the publication of his groundbreaking first book, Malcolm Gladwell returns with a brand new volume that reframes the lessons of The Tipping Point in a startling and revealing light. What does the heartbreaking fate of the cheetah tell us about the way we raise our children? Why do elite universities care so much about sports? What is...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Alexโ€™s Pick
    Outliers
    Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell delves into the enigmatic world of human achievement and uncovers the myriad factors that contribute to success. Through a meticulous examination of high achievers ranging from rock stars and athletes to software billionaires and scientific innovators, this compelling book challenges our conventional understanding of what it takes to be successful. Gladwell reveals that success is not...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Blink
    The phenomenal bestseller by Malcolm Gladwell, Blink, delves into the revolutionary power of honing and trusting your gut instinct. This thought-provoking book explores the uncanny accuracy and value of snap judgements, showing how these split-second decisions can often be more effective than those made with prolonged deliberation. An art expert instantly recognises a ten-million-dollar sculpture as a forgery. A marriage...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Talking to Strangers
    From the No.1 international bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell comes Talking to Strangers, a powerful and thought-provoking examination of why we frequently misinterpret the actions and intentions of the people we encounter. This book delves into the subtle and often troubling complexities of human interactions and the misunderstandings that can lead to tragic outcomes. Talking to Strangers begins with an exploration...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Backorder
    Ships mid September
  • Revenge of the Tipping Point
    Twenty-five years after the publication of his groundbreaking first book, Malcolm Gladwell returns with a brand new volume that reframes the lessons of The Tipping Point in a startling and revealing light. 'Addictive... fascinating and provocative' Guardian 'Malcolm Gladwell explores the watershed moments that define this new age of societal upheaval... with curiosity and humour' TIME Magazine 'Gladwell is a...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • David and Goliath
    David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell challenges conventional wisdom about power and advantage. In this provocative exploration, Gladwell delves into the timeless story of David and Goliath, suggesting that David, the young shepherd boy, actually had the upper hand against the giant. This intriguing way of seeing things sets the stage for a broader investigation into the nature of strength...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • What the Dog Saw
    In What the Dog Saw, Malcolm Gladwell encourages readers to see the world through curious and perceptive lenses by delving into a diverse collection of essays that span various facets of ordinary life. Through these essays, Gladwell explores themes ranging from criminology to food production, and from marketing to intelligence analysis, deftly shifting perspectives to unveil hidden patterns and extraordinary...
    Paperback
    $3100
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Tipping Point
    The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell delves into the intriguing world of ideas and social behaviours, exploring how small actions at the right time can trigger significant changes with far-reaching effects. Rather than trending in linear, predictable patterns, Gladwell argues that social phenomena often behave like infectious diseases, capable of unexpected and dramatic shifts. His detailed analysis covers a range...
    Paperback
    $2999
    (2)
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Revenge of the Tipping Point
    Twenty-five years after the publication of his groundbreaking first book, Malcolm Gladwell returns with "curiosity and humour" in this New York Times bestseller that reframes the lessons of The Tipping Point in a startling and revealing light (Shannon Carlin). Why is Miami...Miami? What does the heartbreaking fate of the cheetah tell us about the way we raise our children? Why...
    Paperback
    $5600
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Blink
    In his landmark bestseller The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. Now, in Blink, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instantโ€”in the blink of an eyeโ€”that actually aren't as simple as they...
    Paperback
    $5700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Talking to Strangers
    Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast Revisionist History and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Outliers, offers a powerful examination of our interactions with strangersโ€”and why they often go wrong. How did Fidel Castro fool the CIA for a generation? Why did Neville Chamberlain think he could trust Adolf Hitler? Why are campus sexual assaults on the rise?...
    Paperback
    $5600
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • What the Dog Saw
    Malcolm Gladwell focuses on "minor geniuses" and idiosyncratic behaviour to illuminate the ways all of us organise experience in this "delightful" (Bloomberg News) collection of writings from The New Yorker. What is the difference between choking and panicking? Why are there dozens of varieties of mustardโ€”but only one variety of ketchup? What do football players teach us about how to...
    Hardback
    $11500
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

More from History & Military

View all
  • Saving Elli
    One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Spy and the Traitor
    The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Betrayal
    โ€˜Tom Bower is the Inspector Morse of investigative biographers, a fluent, phlegmatic storyteller and a master of intricacies.โ€™ Sunday Times The British Crown is in crisis, with constitutional threats at home and abroad. At a landmark moment in royal history, can King Charles overcome the scandals that blight the Royal family? Can the broken bonds between the Houses of Sussex...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Man's Search For Meaning
    Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the authorโ€™s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Discipline
    Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...
    Paperback
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed
    New Release
    The Chief and the Empire
    The Chief and the Empire uncovers the extraordinary true tale of Te Tai Tokerau rangatira Te Pahi - the first influential Mฤori leader to cross the Tasman - whose curiosity about the Pฤkehฤ world forged alliances, saved lives, and ultimately cost him his own. On a visit to Sydney in 1805, Te Pahi was feted as a celebrity, building close...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Shattered Lands
    'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' โ€“ PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation โ€ฆ both original and important' โ€“ MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia โ€“ India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Goliathโ€™s Curse
    Goliathโ€™s Curse by Luke Kemp offers a radical retelling of human history through the lens of collapse, delving into what this means for our uncertain future. This narrative spans from the dawn of our species to the urgent existential threats of the twenty-first century and beyond. It's grounded in the latest research and a comprehensive database of more than 440...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Women's Prize Winner
    The Finest Hotel in Kabul
    The story of a hotel. The story of a nation. When the Inter-Continental Kabul opened in 1969, Afghanistan's first luxury hotel symbolised a dream of a modernising country connected to the world. More than fifty years on, the Inter-Continental is still standing. It has endured Soviet occupation, multiple coups, a grievous civil war, a US invasion and the rise, fall...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    The Good Settler
    โ€˜Where once I saw a view as I drove around the Taranaki coast along State Highway 45, I now see confiscated land from an invasion road. The creation story I used to subscribe to, the one in which hard-working people came here and settled the land, now jars. Weirdly, even the lawn looks different. The form of things just wonโ€™t...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Banjara
    A powerful literary debut from an astonishing new Kiwi voice, focusing on the Indo-Fijian indenture system and how it affected generations across the Pacific.Rajasthan 1888: Avani Rathod, a nomad of the Banjara community, is summoned to teach a blue-eyed colonial officer the trees of her region, but instead is misled into indenture to the sugarcane plantations of Fiji. While on...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.