Why is bombing civilians still a military tactic?

Sven Lindqvist's 'A History of Bombing' traces the development and use of bombing as a weapon from pre-modern explosives through colonial policing and the two world wars to contemporary conflicts. Lindqvist analyzes how bombing techniques evolved alongside imperial ambitions and technological change, highlighting the recurring logic of terrorizing civilian populations to control or demoralize opponents. The book combines historical case studies with moral critique, exposing how Western powers normalized indiscriminate air power in colonies and major wars. His work argues that bombing civilians has been central, not peripheral, to modern military strategy and draws connections between past practices and current aerial warfare. The book is influential for scholars and journalists studying the ethics, legality, and human costs of strategic and area bombing.

The novel is set in a future where the invention of airships and heavier-than-air flying machines has led to a global arms race and eventual war. The story follows Bert Smallways, a British character who accidentally becomes involved in a German air fleet's surprise attack on the United States. The war escalates with the involvement of Asian nations, leading to widespread destruction and a post-apocalyptic scenario. Wells' work anticipates the strategic importance of air power in future wars, although his vision was more prophetic of World War II than World War I.