A History of Bombing

An daring literary and historical look at the ideologies of war and violence, by the author of "Exterminate All the Brutes." On November 1, 1911, Lieutenant Cavotti leaned out of the cockpit of his delicate aircraft and, holding a Haasen hand grenade, began one of the most devastating military tactics of the twentieth century: aerial bombing. This is but one of the many points of entry Lindqvist presents in this cleverly constructed, innovative history. Structuring his book in a way that reenacts the disruptions of history caused by the advent of the bomb, Lindqvist presents a series of "entries" that mirror the disturbing story he unravels. Picking up where his controversial "Exterminate All the Brutes" left off, Lindqvist focuses this time on the fascinating histories behind the development of air power, bombs, and the laws of war and international justice, demonstrating how the practices of the two world wars were born of colonial warfare.