In February 1945 the Allies obliterated Dresden, the \'Florence of the Elbe\'. Explosive bombs weighing over 1,000 lbs fell every seven and a half seconds and an estimated 25,000 people were killed. Was Dresden a legitimate military target or was the bombing a last act of atavistic mass murder in a war already won? From the history of the city to the attack itself, conveyed in a minute-by-minute account, bestselling author Sinclair McKay creates a vast canvas and brings it alive with touching human detail. Impeccably researched and deeply moving, McKay uses never-before-seen sources to relate the untold stories of civilians and vividly conveys the texture of contemporary life. Writing with warmth and colour about morality in war, the instinct for survival, the gravity of mass destruction and the manipulation of memory, this is a master historian at work. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780241995716 • Author: Sinclair McKay • Publisher: Penguin • Format: Paperback • Pages: 400 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.5 cm