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Operation Bowler
The Audacious Allied Bombing of Venice
Brief Description
21 March 1945. 1530 hours. Dozens of Allied fighters and bombers sweep over German-occupied Venice. Their mission – destroy Germany’s strategic outposts nestled along the port, while leaving the floating city unscathed.As bombs rained down upon Europe, flattening city after city, Venice – La Serenissima; home...
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See moreThe thrilling true story behind the Allies’ mission to take back Venice from the Germans – and save its artistic and architectural treasures.
The thrilling true story behind the Allies’ mission to take back Venice from the Germans – and save its artistic and architectural treasures.
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Description
21 March 1945. 1530 hours. Dozens of Allied fighters and bombers sweep over German-occupied Venice.
Their mission – destroy Germany’s strategic outposts nestled along the port, while leaving the floating city unscathed.
As bombs rained down upon Europe, flattening city after city, Venice – La Serenissima; home of Titian and Veronese; immortalised in the serene landscapes of Canaletto – remained sacrosanct. Its artistic and architectural treasure too considerable, too precious to risk destruction.
But, as the push up through Italy reached its final, gruelling months, the Allies were confronted with a terrible dilemma. The ancient city of Venice was now closer and closer to the line of fire. As casualties mounted, the value of art, of history seemed diminished – just a month earlier Allied bombers had reduced the ancient hilltop abbey of Monte Cassino to a stony husk.
In a gripping tale, bestselling author Jonathan Glancey reveals the thrilling history of ‘Operation Bowler’. Joining audacious Wing Commander George Westlake DFC and his elite team, Operation Bowler explores how an unlikely squad of pilots executed one of the most meticulous and complex air raids of the Second World War, sparing not only Venice, but its people.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781836431329
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 05 March 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Oneworld Publications
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 25.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 336
About the Author
Jonathan Glancey is a journalist, author and broadcaster. Having previously worked for the Guardian and Independent, he now writes for the Daily Telegraph. He is the author of Spitfire: The Biography and Concorde.
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