In Search of the Zeppelin War

The Archaeology of the First Blitz

Neil Faulkner, Nadia Durrani

• Publisher: Tempus
• Year: 2008
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9780750970730
• Subtopic: World War I
• Index: History

This book comprises a full introduction to the history and archaeology of the first strategic bombing campaign in history—the Zeppelin raids over Britain in 1915–1918—based on pioneering new excavations and archive research. This is the story of the initial Blitz and the first Battle of Britain, featuring a full report on the first ever excavation of a Zeppelin crash site and also covering airfields, gun sites, searchlights, and radio listening posts. This illustrated book features contemporary accounts alongside the accounts and photographs from the excavations, including Hunstanton, Monkhams, Chingford and North Weald Basset, the Lea Valley, Potters Bar, and Theberton. Written in a collaboration between academic archaeologists and aviation enthusiasts/metal detectorists, this fascinating project is the subject of a BBC2 Timewatch documentary.

Table of contents

• Title
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1 The Destruction of Zeppelin L48
• 2 In Search of the Zeppelin War
• 3 Weapons of Mass Destruction
• 4 ‘Take Air-Raid Action’: the Early Warning System
• 5 London’s Ring of Iron
• 6 Lights and Guns
• 7 Airfields and Fighters
• 8 The Crash Site
• Conclusion
• Appendix 1 Summary of First Blitz Project Fieldwork
• Appendix 2 First Blitz Project Personnel and Acknowledgements
• Suggested Further Reading
• Getting Involved
• Plates
• Copyright