First, my enormous gratitude and thanks to the Dresden Stadtarchiv and all those who work there; its vast collection extends far beyond all those haunting diaries and accounts of the night of 13 February 1945. Here, just a short leafy journey from the city centre on the number 7 tram, are books, maps, documents, even ledgers, stretching back through 800 years of colourful Dresden history. My particular thanks to the director, Thomas Kubler, whose terrific energy and insight set me on the right paths; and to Claudia Richert, who is hugely knowledgeable and equally sharp.
Elsewhere in Dresden, I owe huge thanks to Peter Schaffrath, both for warm hospitality and for the most invaluable tour of the city that opened my eyes to other corners of its history; to Maximilian Limbourg, for introducing me to Herr Kubler and Herr Schaffrath, and also guiding me through crucial aspects of Dresden culture, architecture and industry. My gratitude as well to Pastor Sebastian Feydt, who oversees the Frauenkirche, for taking so much time to see me, and for so many fascinating stories.
I was introduced to him by Eveline Eaton, chair of the Dresden Trust; also measurelessly helpful has been artist Monica Petzal, also of the Dresden Trust. The Trust is a British charity devoted, as it states, to ‘healing the wounds of war’; it has been involved in some terrific work with the city, from the crafting of the exquisite orb and cross mentioned in the final chapter, to the recent planting of trees in Neumarkt. For full details of their rich and varied projects with the city, visit www.dresdentrust.org.
Thank you to Paul Addison, Sebastian Cox and Nadine Zimmerli for reading and commenting on the manuscript. Any mistakes that remain are my own.
My thanks also to Christ Church College, Oxford, at which can be found the papers of Viscount Portal, and to Steven Archer, who made me most welcome in the library. My gratitude to the archivists at the RAF Museum in Hendon, where can be found the private papers of Sir Arthur Harris. Equally fascinating are the collections of the memories and experiences of aircrews to be found at the Imperial War Museum, London. Additional thanks to the London Library, which holds some unexpected and hugely useful treasures deep in its stacks, to the British Library, which has made period newspaper research so addictive that it is difficult to leave at closing time, and also to the National Archives, Kew, where the range and abundance of primary sources are equally mesmerizing.
At Viking, my debt to publisher Daniel Crewe is enormous, first and not least because the idea for the book was his. And I am also hugely grateful for his raptor eye and keen judgement in terms of the initial drafts. Thanks also to assistant editor Connor Brown, sharp with ideas and suggestions. Countless thanks to copy-editor Trevor Horwood for laser-beam scrutiny and aliveness to history and the power of language; to Emma Brown for formidable editorial management; to Sarah Scarlett for her work on the English language rights; to Sam Fanaken for ensuring the book’s sales profile; and to Rose Poole in marketing and Olivia Mead in publicity for helping to make certain that the anniversary of Dresden will be remembered and marked.
Huge thanks as always to my brilliant agent Anna Power, who started all this, and also to Helene Butler, who has worked tirelessly across a range of territories.
A quick apology to my father for the tardiness of his own promised trip to Dresden – we will get there very soon; and a thank you to my mother, who did get her promised trip there, and who was mesmerized by – among other things – the vast GDR mosaic upon the Palace of Culture. The city itself is so hospitable, and so beautiful, so rich in art and music and also in fascinating walks through friendly streets, that I wish we were all there right now.