Under a Bomber's Moon by Stephen Harris

Reviews and Media:

REVIEWS & MEDIA

Radio:

Listen to Stephen Harris chat with Chris Laidlaw about his new book Under A Bomber's Moon on Radio NZ's Sunday Morning program

Hear the Radio New Zealand Nine to Noon Book Review featuring Under A Bomber's Moon

Radio Wammo interview with Stephen Harris

Print:

'The book uses the words of the two former combatants where possible, quoting from Jones' diary and letters home, coupled with comments from various people who knew the colonial boy far from home. Fries is able to speak very effectively himself.
Under a Bomber's Moon includes atwo well-chosen sections of black and white photos of the combatants, their aircraft and other relevant subjects. It should be of considerable interest to relatives of former airmen and those with a general interest in military history.' Wanganui Chronicle

While there are plenty of World War II books, few exist that concurrently tell and draw comparisons between, the apparently dissimilar stories of New Zealand and German airmen. Former journalist now diplomat Stephen Harris, was inspired to write Under A Bomber’s Moon after he was posted to Berlin and read the letters and diaries of his great uncle, a navigator-bomber who died during a raid on the same city in 1944. Experiencing the war through his great uncle’s words, Harris felt compelled to find out about the man and the history of the country in which he now lived. The investigation led him not just to find out more about his uncle, but also to meet a German airman who had survived the war. The result is a deeply personal, non-judgmental book that explores the similarities between the men and the complexities of war. Told through excerpts from Harris’ great uncles’ diaries and letters and interviews with German Otto-Heinrich Fries, Under A Bomber’s Moon offers more than tales of daring bombing raids—it tells the stories of two men who could be our relatives and, as with the recently released WWI related Wolf, provides a new and human insight into a much-documented war.
—Fiona Crawford is a freelance writer, blogger, editor, and proofreader, Bookseller + Publisher Magazine

‘Sounds Historical’, Radio New Zealand, has selected Under a Bomber’s Moon as one of their favourite books of 2009.

‘This is a book to read, to reflect upon, and to cherish.’ The Press

'So, now that we’ve traveled through a review that barely scratches the surface of Under a Bomber's Moon, what have we got? The stories of three men – Col, Otto and the author – and their journeys of discovery, one of which was cut far too short. In a sense, the author continues Col’s story and breathes life into what otherwise would have been one of the many lost airmen who will never have anything written about them. In so doing he turns a remarkable journey into a very special one. While it is not known whether Otto and Col shared the same piece of sky like they do on the cover, the inclusion of Otto’s experiences not only opens the reader’s eyes to the German experience but adds to the understanding of the dangers Col, and the thousands of young men just like him, faced in the night skies over Europe. I can only hope Stephen Harris builds on the journey he has undertaken and applies his knowledge to another aspect of the bomber war. If it’s anything like Under a Bomber's Moon, it will be worth the read.' To read the full review in Aircrew Review click here 

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