This book tells the story of the Australian airmen that served in World War 2 under Bomber Command. There are many stories of mateship through long bombing campaigns, and harrowing accounts of lost mates and loved ones. Throughout the horrors of war are evident: the strategic attacks, the miscalculated ones, the loss of planes being shot down or involved in collisions. However, little is said about the civilian casualties. The recollections of the bombing of Dresden in February 1945 are especially poignant. There was, and still is, doubt as to whether it was necessary. Those personally involved were mostly pragmatic - they had a job to do, and did it with clinical detachment. As one pilot wrote: "The war had reached the stage where moral attitudes had given way to pragmatic ones. We wanted to survive the war." One regret they had was the lack of recognition for their role in the war. Many found they were not welcomed home. Some were deemed cowards hiding in Europe from the Japs, despite the fact that Bomber Command had the highest rate of casualties. A lot struggled with their memories afterwards - some suffered from guilt knowing they had survived the downing of their aircraft while many of their crew did not, or were responsible for huge numbers of civilian casualties. It's difficult to compare war stories, especially those from different eras, but the difficulties and horror that these men went through to combat the terror of Nazi Germany, and continued to struggle with later, surely ranks as heroic. I cannot condone war, but I respect these men for the part they played in ending it. ( )