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  • Lancaster

  • The Second World War’s Greatest Bomber
  • By: Leo McKinstry
  • Narrated by: Peter Noble
  • Length: 25 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (139 ratings)
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Lancaster cover art

Lancaster

By: Leo McKinstry
Narrated by: Peter Noble
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Summary

A comprehensive history of Britain's greatest bomber plane.

The Spitfire and the Lancaster were the two RAF weapons of victory in the Second World War, but the glamour of the fighter has tended to overshadow the performance of the heavy bomber. Yet without the Lancaster, Britain would never have been able to take the fight to the German homeland. Highlights the scale of the bomber's achievements, including the famous Dambusters attacks. With its vast bomb bay, ease of handling and surprising speed, the mighty Lancaster transformed the effectiveness of the Bomber Command.

Whilst addressing the political controversy surrounding the bombing offensive against Germany, Leo McKinstry also weaves individual tales into this compelling narrative. Rich characters are brought to life, such as Roy Chadwick the designer, who taught himself engineering at night school and Sir Arthur Harris, the austere head of the Bomber Command. This is a rich saga, a story of triumph over disaster and the history of an iconic plane.

©2009 Leo McKinstry (P)2009 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Lancaster

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Very good

So informative and interesting with personal stories worth a look at will probably listen to it again in time

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Really interesting book

so much I didn't know about this aircraft and it's effect on the history, good detail from crew and air staff. Well read and we'll written.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A fascinating history well written and performed

A fascinating history, well written and performed, shows not only a great respect for the courage and skill of the crews and the superb quality of the aircraft, but also covers the more controversial issues in a fair and balanced manner. A long book but well worth it.

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A deep dive

I was looking forward to learning about the Avro Lancaster in terms of the concept, design and development. This was very satisfying and I think we can safely say that it is just about all here. But one of the important things to do is to place the aircraft in context and I think that this book more than achieves this. There's a lot here about the air war and the role of Bomber Command and, as anyone remotely interested in the era will know, there are more than a few controversial considerations and the Lancaster was very much part of the mechanism that facilitated the bombing campaign. So I was very gratified that there was so much that was included. All in all, I thought it was expressed in a fairly balanced way. I found myself really wishing that things were handled differently but I have the benefit of hindsight. I will certainly delve into the Author's other books.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Makes top gun feel tame

An all round great listen from start to finish opened my eyes and my heart

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Eye opening and informative book with 1 caveat

Great and often shockingly informative account. articulately and engagingly read... With only one small problem. The narrator's insistence that 'Lancaster' is pronounced 'Lancuster'! like I say, only a small problem, but since the title of the book is 'Lancuster' it grates pretty often in the 25 odd hours of this listen!

Despite this, highly recommend if you're interested in the subject even at all.

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    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best books about the Lancaster bomber!

A truly outstanding audiobook,very vivid details covering most subjects in the bomber war some of which are often forgotten for example the role of ground crews and armourer's. The great detail into how the Lancaster was built,operated and eventually retired is portrayed superbly. I'm gutted I've finished it. I'll definitely read/listen again in future. Narration is also top notch. Buy it, you'll not be disappointed.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well read & well written

An awesome description of how the Lanc came about & designed by the brilliant Roy Chadwick
superbly written & an insight into the horrors of War.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • YM
  • 22-04-20

The story of a legend

An excellent book with lots of info about the development of the Lancaster bomber and the crews who flew it. I found the stories of the manufacturers AV Roe and their competitors to be very informative and the drive of Roy Chadwick to develop the troublesome Manchester, into what i believe to be the best aircraft of all time. For the Lancaster Bomber lover this is a must listen. Lest we forget.

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Enjoyable and thought provoking

Before I started listening there were two things that the Lancaster brought to my mind, the Dam Busters and the BoB Memorial Flight. I can honestly say that I have learnt so much from listening to this story. Yes there are many anecdotes about Harris but there is so much more from the crews that flew the Lanc. I thoroughly enjoyed this and as always had I been there I would have been championing the cause and rallying for the bomber crews to be officially recognised and rewarded for what they did. Ok so many may have opinions about those particular campaigns but we were at war and we had the brunt of the Luftwaffe hitting our towns cities factories and most importantly people. Thank you RAF for defending our shores and helping those who gave their lives in all Services and elsewhere so that we might have ours now.

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