More like a long magazine article, and lost interest quickly to the point I never finished. I wish I could get my money back …

This is what I considered a quick read. I flew through this book lol. However, I also went through this book so quickly because I’m fascinated with military history. Great read nonetheless.

I read this during the final season of attack on titan. LeMay firebombing Japan indiscriminately is very reminiscent to an event in that series. As usual Gladwell delivers a masterpiece.

Great subject, and well told and would have been 5 stars, but $14.99 for 134 pages seems a little steep

Once again Gladwell reveals something many people never knew. The art and morality of bombing cities and targets Is brought to life in The Bomber Mafia.

Though this effort represents a wholly different subject matter than his usual social psychology, this book proves that Malcolm Gladwell is the master of painting context in the clearest brush strokes. He does not lose any of his penchant for deep psychological inquiry into his subject and this one is particularly all consuming. I am no fan of war, but psychology of the decision making of those who run them and the ramifications were still feeling today are engrossing. The book is more than a look at the beginning of modern war, it serves as a critical analysis of how we come to certain beliefs and how we hold steadfastly to them even in the face of overwhelming counter evidence. A sort of look into cult like fanatical reverence for a particular view that drives the ethos of a group. Visualize Apple with its “Think Different” approach, or Toyota with its Six Sigma manufacturing precision, or Disney and its fun factory obsession. Each of these institutions start with an idea, a germ, that sometimes takes decades to see realized. That is the heart of this book. Like in Nolan’s Inception, Gladwell shows how an idea can take a root amongst a fiercely passionate founding group and grow into the standard operating procedure for every major army on the planet. The subject of war is disheartening, but for this instant it serves the purpose of illuminating the broader picture of how the best ideas can win out along a long enough timeline.

1. All war is madness 2. Try to win a war as quickly as possible regardless of how many innocents lose their lives 3. Conduct war from the moral high ground and reduce all collateral damage. He’s clearly got both feet planted firmly in the air.

Thought-provoking read that gives serious pause.

Awesome book as always Gladwell masterfully tells the story.

Another great Gladwell tome. Always insightful into the human condition and mindset. The insanity of war contrasted with the vagaries of mankind’s dilemmas.