The role of the bomber has proved to be one of the most controversial aspects of 20th-century warfare. This book tells the story of the bomber with a blend of narrative and personal accounts, recording the history of the principal bombing raids and those who flew them. Beginning with an overview of the origins of the concept of aerial bombardment, this account goes on to the early raids of World War I - including Zeppelin airship and bomber operations over Britain and RFC attacks on German targets - and the use of the bomber between the wars by the Germans in the Spanish Civil War, the Italians in Abyssinia and by the Japanese in China. World War II marked the massive deployment of the bomber by the main combatants as a major tactical and strategic weapon. Bringing this study up to date, David Wragg examies the US' bombing campaign in Vietnam in the 1960s, the Gulf War and the 1999 campaign in former Yugoslavia.