Brian Barton's research into the Belfast Blitz is extensive. In 'The Belfast Blitz: The City in the War Years', he presents an engaging book that brings wartime Belfast to life. This is much more than a list of facts and figures.
This book draws on a number of resources to retell the stories of the Luftwaffe attacks on the city in April and May 1941. It includes analysis of Belfast’s unreadiness and looks at how they dealt with the aftermath of Luftwaffe bombs. The key to the book is the range of voices included in the pages, from working class residents, to politicians, to Civil Defence Volunteers. There are also over 200 photographs showing the devastation wreaked on parts of the city as well as maps, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera. At over 600 pages, this is a long read but one that is worth it for a fuller understanding of the Belfast Blitz.
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