I recently finished two books that I highly recommend to anyone interested in 20th century history.
First is Churchill, by Roy Jenkins. This is a superb biography of Winston Churchill, written by a well-known member of the House of Lords. Its focus is political, but the other aspects of Churchill's remarkable life are not neglected. I've read several other biographical works on Churchill, all focused on his World War II leadership; this one filled in many of the blanks for me.
Second is a much shorter read: The Fall of Fortresses by Elmer Bendiner. This is a classic work that I had never previously read. It is by far the best depiction of the life of a bomber crew that I have ever seen. Bendiner was a B-17 navigator who survived his 25 missions and came home in one piece. Thirty-five years after the war, and after gaining a much wider perspective, he wrote this work that ranges from how the windows frosted up at high altitude to pondering the strategic wisdom of the bomber strategy.
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