REFERENCES

                                     

1) Thomas R. Searle, "'It Made a Lot of Sense to Kill Skilled Workers': The Firebombing of Tokyo in March 1945," Journal of Military History 66/1: 103-34.

Searle argues the famous March 1945 air raid on Tokyo and the resulting civilian casualties were not accidental or incidental but an explicit goal of the incendiary raids on Japanese cities. Additionally, the bombing campaign that devastated Tokyo and other Japanese cities was generally similar to the U.S. and Britain bombing of Germany and since 1943.

2)Fisher, George JB. Incendiary Warfare. London: McGraw-Hill, 1946.

 

A fairly technical discussion of the history and tactical use of incendiary weapons; specific attention is paid to contemporary advances in gelled-fuel incendiary mixtures (the development of napalm).

 

3) Werrell, Kenneth P. Blankets of fire : U.S. bombers over Japan during World War II. Washington, DC : Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996.

Documents the impact of firebombing on the war. He claims that low-altitude incendiary attacks at night broke completely with prior doctrine and were devastatingly effective, but also addresses moral questions like, Was the use of firebombing morally justified? Do the ends justify the means? and looks at the role of firebombing in setting the context for the use of the atomic bombs.

4) Powers, Thomas. "Was it right? [morality of the 1945 bombing of Japan]." Atlantic Monthly. 276, no. 1 (July 1995) : 20+ [Periodical-Périodique / IRC-CIS]

 

Addresses moral issues of targeting civilians.

 

5) Rauch, Jonathan. “Firebombs over Tokyo.” Atlantic Monthly. 290 no. 1 (July/August 2002) : 22+ [Periodical-Périodique / IRC-CIS]

 

Condemns US action in Tokyo and seeks to remind people of the atrocious firebombing which are often overshadowed by the atomic bombs.

 

6) “Bombing of Dresden During WWII.” http://www.worldwidewebfind.com/encyclopedia/en/wikipedia/b/bo/bombing_of_dresden_in_world_war_ii.html

 

Historical record of the bombing of Dresden during WWII

 

7) “Incendiary Weapons” http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/incendiary.htm

 

A comprehensive treatment of the military history of incendiary devices (including firebombs), principles of their operations, their modern day tactical applications and operational constraints.

 

8) “Pyrotechnics, Explosives, and Fireworks”

http://www.vectorsite.net/ttpyro.html#m7

 

Contains a moderately detailed discussion of the chemistry of incendiary devices amid other material about pyrotechnics and explosives.

 

9) “Armor Piercing Incendiary”

http://www.watsonsweapons.com/images/CHPT9X_10_0001.jpg

 

A useful diagram of an incendiary round.

 

10)  Siebert, Detlef. “British Bombing Strategy in World War Two”

  < http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/area_bombing_01.shtml>

 

Details Britain’s transition from precision to area bombing during WWII

 

11) Knell, Herman “To Destroy a City: Strategic Bombing and Its Human Consequences in WWII.” 

 < http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COMM.10.5.03.HTM>

 

Provides an in-depth analysis of the Allied policy of strategic bombing in WWII.

 

 

12) Sebald, W.G. “On the Natural History of Destruction”

 < http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COMM.10.5.03.HTM>

 

Among other descriptions of destruction, tells of the fire raids in Hamburg

 

 

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