%{search_type} search results

• 1: Foundations 2: Beginnings 3: Theory and Practice
• the Inter war years 4: The Second World War in the West 5: The Air War in the Pacific 6: Cold War 1945-1982 7: The Apotheosis of Air Power
• 1983-2001 8: Aerostats to Algorithms
• 2001-2018 and beyond Further Reading Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Aerial warfare which has dominated western war-making for over 100 years, and despite regular announcements of its demise, it shows no sign of becoming obsolete. Frank Ledwidge offers a sweeping look at the history of air warfare, introducing the major battles, crises, and controversies where air power has taken centre stage, and the changes in technology and air power capabilities over time. Highlighting the role played by air power in the First and Second World Wars, he also sheds light on the lesser-known theatres where the roles of air forces have been clearly decisive in conflicts, in Africa, South America, and Asia. Along the way, Ledwidge asks key questions about the roles air power can deliver, and whether it is conceptually different from other forms of combat. Considering whether bombing has ever been truly effective, he discusses whether wars can be won from the air, and concludes by analysing whether there is a future for manned air power, or if it is inevitable that drones will dominate 21st century war in the air.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• v.
• 1. 1911-1945.

• Carl A. Spaatz: Bomber baron / Richard G. Davis
• George C. Kenney: "A kind of renaissance airman" / Alan Stephens
• Otto P. Weyland: "Best damn general in the Air Corps" / Richard R. Muller
• Curtis E. Lemay: Airman extraordinary / Williamson Murray
• William H. Tunner: Master of airlift / James S. Corum
• George E. Stratemeyer: Organizer of air power / Thomas A. Keaney
• William W. Momyer: An air power mind / Case Cunningham
• John W. Vogt: The Easter Offensive and Nixon's War in Vietnam / Stephen P. Randolph
• Charles A. Horner: Desert Storm maestro / Richard P. Hallion
• Michael E. Ryan: Architect of air power success / Mark A. Bucknam
• Michael C. Short: Airman undaunted / Rebecca L. Grant
• T. Michael Moseley: Air power warrior / James D. Kiras.

Air Commanders combines short military biographies and operational analyses to reveal how the personalities, attitudes, and life experiences of twelve outstanding U.S. airmen shaped the central air campaigns in American history. From Gen. Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, who began his career in World War I, to the contemporary Gen. T. Michael "Buzz" Moseley, the case studies illuminate the character of these airmen, the challenges they confronted in widely disparate armed conflicts, and the solutions that they crafted and implemented. Their achievements proved decisive not only in the campaigns they led, but also in shaping the U.S. Air Force and the dominant role of airpower in modern warfare.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Carl A. Spaatz: Bomber baron / Richard G. Davis
• George C. Kenney: "A kind of renaissance airman" / Alan Stephens
• Otto P. Weyland: "Best damn general in the Air Corps" / Richard R. Muller
• Curtis E. Lemay: Airman extraordinary / Williamson Murray
• William H. Tunner: Master of airlift / James S. Corum
• George E. Stratemeyer: Organizer of air power / Thomas A. Keaney
• William W. Momyer: An air power mind / Case Cunningham
• John W. Vogt: The Easter Offensive and Nixon's War in Vietnam / Stephen P. Randolph
• Charles A. Horner: Desert Storm maestro / Richard P. Hallion
• Michael E. Ryan: Architect of air power success / Mark A. Bucknam
• Michael C. Short: Airman undaunted / Rebecca L. Grant
• T. Michael Moseley: Air power warrior / James D. Kiras.

Air Commanders combines short military biographies and operational analyses to reveal how the personalities, attitudes, and life experiences of twelve outstanding U.S. airmen shaped the central air campaigns in American history. From Gen. Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, who began his career in World War I, to the contemporary Gen. T. Michael "Buzz" Moseley, the case studies illuminate the character of these airmen, the challenges they confronted in widely disparate armed conflicts, and the solutions that they crafted and implemented. Their achievements proved decisive not only in the campaigns they led, but also in shaping the U.S. Air Force and the dominant role of airpower in modern warfare.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

On December 18, 1972, more than one hundred U.S. B-52 bombers flew over North Vietnam to initiate Operation Linebacker II. During the next eleven days, sixteen of these planes were shot down and another four suffered heavy damage. These losses soon proved so devastating that Strategic Air Command was ordered to halt the bombing. The U.S. Air Force's poor performance in this and other operations during Vietnam was partly due to the fact that they had trained their pilots according to methods devised during World War II and the Korean War, when strategic bombers attacking targets were expected to take heavy losses. Warfare had changed by the 1960s, but the USAF had not adapted. Between 1972 and 1991, however, the Air Force dramatically changed its doctrines and began to overhaul the way it trained pilots through the introduction of a groundbreaking new training program called "Red Flag." In The Air Force Way of War, Brian D. Laslie examines the revolution in pilot instruction that Red Flag brought about after Vietnam. The program's new instruction methods were dubbed "realistic" because they prepared pilots for real-life situations better than the simple cockpit simulations of the past, and students gained proficiency on primary and secondary missions instead of superficially training for numerous possible scenarios. In addition to discussing the program's methods, Laslie analyzes the way its graduates actually functioned in combat during the 1980s and '90s in places such as Grenada, Panama, Libya, and Iraq. Military historians have traditionally emphasized the primacy of technological developments during this period and have overlooked the vital importance of advances in training, but Laslie's unprecedented study of Red Flag addresses this oversight through its examination of the seminal program.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

Arguably no single human invention has transformed war more than the aeroplane. The potential of airpower to change the very nature - perhaps even the meaning - of combat was strikingly evident almost from the moment the Wright brothers first flew. Stephen Budiansky tells the story of airpower from Kitty Hawk to Kosovo, showing how, during the course of the 20th century, it transformed warfare. Drawing on combat memoirs, government and industry archives, technical studies and museum collections, this text brings together a complete narrative history of war in the air, with the people, events, ideas and inventions that made it possible.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Part 1: The First World War and the Inter-War Years 1. Learning in Real Time:The development and implementation of air power in the First World War Tami Biddle 2. Achieving Air Ascendancy: Challenge and response in British strategic air defence, 1915-40 John Ferris 3. The Royal Navy Air Service: A very modern service Christina J.M. Goulter 4. The "Luftwaffe" and Lessons Learned in the Spanish Civil War James S. Corum
• Part 2: The Second World War: the Second World War As a Turning Point in Air Power Richard P. Hallion 5. Maritime Air Power and the Second World War: Britain, the USA and Japan John Buckley 6. A Neglected Turning Point in Air Power History - Air power and the fall of France Stuart W. Peach 7. "Learning is Winning" -Soviet air power doctrine, 1935-41 James Sterret 8. The Development of Tactical Air Doctrine in North Africa, 1940-43 Brad Gladman Logistics Doctrine and the Impact of War : The royal air force's experience in the Second World War Peter Dye 9. Australia and the War in the Pacific, 1942-45 Ian MacFarling
• Part 3: The Gulf War 1991: planning the air campaign - the Washington Perspective Diane Putney 9. The 1991 Bombing of Baghdad: Air power theory vs. Iraqi realities, John Andreas Olsen 10. The Gulf War and UK Air Power Doctrine and Practice Sebastian Cox and Sebastian Ritchie
• Part 4: Air Power in Regional Conflict: Solidifying the Foundation 11. Vietnam's Impact on the Basic Doctrine of the US Air Force Mark Clodfelter 12. Air Power Victorious? Britain and NATO strategy during the Kosovo conflict Sebastian Ritchie 13. The Balkans: An air power basket case? Peter W. Gray.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

he 20th century saw air power transformed from novelists' fantasy into stark reality. From string and canvas to precision weaponry and stealth, air power has progressed to become not only the weapon of first political choice, but often the only conceivable option. This rapid development has given rise to considerable debate and controversy with those holding entrenched views rarely slow to shout their case. Many myths have grown over the period, ranging from the once much vaunted ability of air power to win wars alone through to its impact as a coercive tool. This volume examines the theory and practice of air power from its earliest inception. The contributors have been drawn from academia and the military and represent some of the world's leading proponents on the subject. All significant eras on air power employment are examined: some are evidently turning points, while others represent continuous development. Perhaps more importantly, the book highlights the areas that could be considered to be significant, and invites the reader to enter the debate as to whether it constitutes a continuum, a turning point, or indeed a revolution.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Part 1: The First World War and the Inter-War Years 1. Learning in Real Time:The development and implementation of air power in the First World War Tami Biddle 2. Achieving Air Ascendancy: Challenge and response in British strategic air defence, 1915-40 John Ferris 3. The Royal Navy Air Service: A very modern service Christina J.M. Goulter 4. The "Luftwaffe" and Lessons Learned in the Spanish Civil War James S. Corum
• Part 2: The Second World War: the Second World War As a Turning Point in Air Power Richard P. Hallion 5. Maritime Air Power and the Second World War: Britain, the USA and Japan John Buckley 6. A Neglected Turning Point in Air Power History - Air power and the fall of France Stuart W. Peach 7. "Learning is Winning" -Soviet air power doctrine, 1935-41 James Sterret 8. The Development of Tactical Air Doctrine in North Africa, 1940-43 Brad Gladman Logistics Doctrine and the Impact of War : The royal air force's experience in the Second World War Peter Dye 9. Australia and the War in the Pacific, 1942-45 Ian MacFarling
• Part 3: The Gulf War 1991: planning the air campaign - the Washington Perspective Diane Putney 9. The 1991 Bombing of Baghdad: Air power theory vs. Iraqi realities, John Andreas Olsen 10. The Gulf War and UK Air Power Doctrine and Practice Sebastian Cox and Sebastian Ritchie
• Part 4: Air Power in Regional Conflict: Solidifying the Foundation 11. Vietnam's Impact on the Basic Doctrine of the US Air Force Mark Clodfelter 12. Air Power Victorious? Britain and NATO strategy during the Kosovo conflict Sebastian Ritchie 13. The Balkans: An air power basket case? Peter W. Gray.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

The 20th century saw air power transformed from novelists' fantasy into stark reality. From string and canvas to precision weaponry and stealth, air power has progressed to become not only the weapon of first political choice, but often the only conceivable option. This rapid development has given rise to considerable debate and controversy with those holding entrenched views rarely slow to shout their case. Many myths have grown over the period, ranging from the once much vaunted ability of air power to win wars alone through to its impact as a coercive tool. This volume examines the theory and practice of air power from its earliest inception. The contributors have been drawn from academia and the military and represent some of the world's leading proponents on the subject. All significant eras on air power employment are examined: some are evidently turning points, while others represent continuous development. Perhaps more importantly, the book highlights the areas that could be considered to be significant, and invites the reader to enter the debate as to whether it constitutes a continuum, a turning point, or indeed a revolution. The expert analysis in this volume will serve as a guide to past perceptions and will help to equip current analysts for the 21st century.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Air Power in the Age of Primacy Phil Haun
• 2. Remote Warfare: A New Architecture of Air Power Timothy P. Schultz
• 3. Deliberate Force: Ambivalent Success Thomas Alexander Hughes
• 4. Hoping for Victory: Coercive Air Power and NATO's Strategy in Kosovo Andrew L. Stigler
• 5. Operation Enduring Freedom Nicholas Blanchette
• 6. The Result is Never Final: Operation Iraqi Freedom Heather Venable
• 7. Israeli Air Force Effectiveness during the Second Lebanon War (2006) Nimrod Hagiladi
• 8. Libya 2011: Hollow Victory in Low-Cost Air War Jahara Matisek
• 9. Coercing a Chaos State: The Saudi-Led Air War in Yemen Ralph Shield
• 10. Russia's Air War Win in Syria Ralph Shield
• 11. Air Power in the Battle of Mosul Stephen Renner
• 12. Retrospect and Prospect: Air Power in the Age of Primacy and Beyond Colin Jackson.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Since the end of the Cold War the United States and other major powers have wielded their air forces against much weaker state and non-state actors. In this age of primacy, air wars have been contests between unequals and characterized by asymmetries of power, interest, and technology. This volume examines ten contemporary wars where air power played a major and at times decisive role. Its chapters explore the evolving use of unmanned aircraft against global terrorist organizations as well as more conventional air conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and against ISIS. Air superiority could be assumed in this unique and brief period where the international system was largely absent great power competition. However, the reliable and unchallenged employment of a spectrum of manned and unmanned technologies permitted in the age of primacy may not prove effective in future conflicts.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Air power in the age of total war
• 2. The birth of air power
• 3. The First World War 1914-1918
• 4. The development of air power doctrine and theory 1918-1939
• 5. Global air power 1918-1939
• 6. The war in Europe 1939-1945
• 7. The war in the Far East 1937-1945
• 8. Air power and the post-war world
• 9. Conclusions Bibliography Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

A fascinating study of the changing military role of air power in the twentieth century, this book examines the sensational impact of the Great War, the pioneering work of air power theorists and visionaries in the interwar period, the air arms race, the SecondWorld War in Europe and the Far East, and finally, the post-war period.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Air power in the age of total war
• 2. The birth of air power
• 3. The First World War 1914-1918
• 4. The development of air power doctrine and theory 1918-1939
• 5. Global air power 1918-1939
• 6. The war in Europe 1939-1945
• 7. The war in the Far East 1937-1945
• 8. Air power and the post-war world
• 9. Conclusions Bibliography Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

A fascinating study of the changing military role of air power in the twentieth century, this book examines the sensational impact of the Great War, the pioneering work of air power theorists and visionaries in the interwar period, the air arms race, the SecondWorld War in Europe and the Far East, and finally, the post-war period.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Air power in the age of total war
• 2. The birth of air power
• 3. The First World War 1914-1918
• 4. The development of air power doctrine and theory 1918-1939
• 5. Global air power 1918-1939
• 6. The war in Europe 1939-1945
• 7. The war in the Far East 1937-1945
• 8. Air power and the post-war world
• 9. Conclusions Bibliography Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Warfare in the first half of the 20th century was fundamentally and irrovocably altered by the birth and subsequent development of air power. This work assesses the role of air power in changing the face of battle on land and sea. Utilizing late-1990s research, the author demonstrates that the phenomenon of air power was both a cause and a crucial accelerating factor contributing to the theory and practice of total war. For instance, the expansion of warfare to the homefront was a direct result of bombing and indirectly due to the extent of national economic mobilization required to support first rate air power status. In addition, the move away from the principle of total war with the onset of the Cold War and the replacement of air power by ICBMs is thoroughly examined. This work should provide students of international history, war studies, defence and strategic studies with an insight into 20th-century warfare.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
A fascinating study of the changing military role of air power in the twentieth century, this book examines the sensational impact of the Great War, the pioneering work of air power theorists and visionaries in the interwar period, the air arms race, the SecondWorld War in Europe and the Far East, and finally, the post-war period.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Biplanes and bandits
• Colonial air control
• The Greek civil war and the Philippine anti-Huk campaign
• The French colonial wars, 1946-1962
• The British colonial wars, 1945-1975
• Airpower in South Vietnam, 1954-1965
• Airpower and counterinsurgency in Southern Africa
• Protracted insurgencies
• Intervention in the Mideast, 1962-2000.

The use of airpower in wartime calls to mind the massive bombings of World War II, but aeroplanes have long been instrumental in small wars as well. Ever since its use by the French to put down rebellious Moroccan tribes in 1913, air power has been employed to fight in limited but often lengthy small conflicts around the globe. This volume presents a comprehensive history of airpower in small wars - conflicts pitting states against non-state groups such as insurgents, bandits, factions and terrorists - tracing it from the early years of the 20th century to the present day. It examines dozens of conflicts with strikingly different scenarios, inluding: the Greek Civil War, the Philippine Anti-Huk campaign, French and British colonial wars, the war in South Vietnam before the American escalation, and counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist campaigns in the Middle East.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction: airpower and strategy / John Andreas Olsen
• Paradigm lost: airpower theory and its historical struggles / Peter R. Faber
• The enemy as a complex adaptive system: John Boyd and airpower in the postmodern era / Frans P. B. Osinga
• Smart strategy, smart airpower / John A. Warden III
• Fifth-generation strategy / Alan Stephens
• Airpower theory / Colin S. Gray.

Airpower and Strategy offers a conceptual approach to warfare that emphasizes airpower's unique capability to achieve strategic effects. Six world-leading theorists argue that a viable strategy must transcend the purely military sphere, view the adversary as a multi-dimensional system, and pursue systemic paralysis and strategic effects rather than military destruction or attrition. The book is divided into three parts. The first section presents a historical perspective on airpower theory and airpower strategy, tracing their evolution from the 1920s to the 1980s. The second section contains in-depth examinations of the strategic concepts that John R. Boyd and John A. Warden developed in the 1980s and 1990s, with an emphasis on their contemporary relevance. The final section provides further context on modern airpower theory and strategy. Theory, in this setting, serves as the basic paradigm, strategy represents its generic, mechanisms-cantered application, and plans of campaign constitute the specific steps for any given situation. In short, the authors look beyond the land-centric, battlefield-oriented paradigm that has continued to dominate military theories and strategies long after airpower offered new options. The book acknowledges the essential role of advanced technology in improving airpower capabilities, but emphasizes that air services must cultivate and harness the intellectual acumen of airmen and encourage officers and men to think conceptually and strategically about the application of aerospace power. Modern airpower can offer political decision-makers more and better options-provided the underlying strategy coherently links the application of airpower directly to the end-state objectives rather than limiting it to "the battle." The book recommends that all countries should consider establishing a dynamic and vibrant environment for mastering aerospace history, theory, strategy, and doctrine; a milieu for cultivating broader knowledge of and insight into airpower; and a setting in which airpower experts have the opportunity to communicate their narrative to politicians, the media, and fellow officers, and to interact to mutual benefit with experts from all sectors of governance. This effort should emphasize the potentially unique contribution of airpower to political objectives and joint operations, and in turn connect to operational headquarters that do operational planning. Mastering such strategic thought lies at the heart of the military profession, but it requires in-depth knowledge and understanding of theory, strategy, and airpower, and transcends traditional metrics.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Giulio Douhet and the Origins of Air Power Theory
• 2. Trenchard and "Morale Bombing": The evolution of Royal Air Force doctrine before World War II
• 3. John C. Slessor and the Genesis of Air Interdiction
• 4. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Britain's Fleet Air Arm before World War II
• 5. The Impact of Tecnhology and Design Choice on the Development of US Fighter Aircraft
• 6. Clipping the Bomber's Wings: The Geneva Disarmament Conference and the Royal Air Force, 1932-34
• 7. Air Power and Joint Operations During World War II
• 8. The B-29 Air Campaign against Japan
• 9. Air Strategy: Targeting for effect
• 10. Precision Aerospace Power, Discrimination and the Future of War
• 11. Gradual Escalation: A return to the future?
• 12. The Versailles Treaty and Iraq: The road to Munich
• 13. Aerospace Power and the Post-Kosovo World
• 14. Strategic Implications for the Aerospace Nation.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

According to the author all aircrews, tacticians and those who direct them have to realise the limitations of air power during conflicts. For years opinion has differed as to whether the aircraft has altered war strategies or merely the tactics of war. This volume explores the limits of airpower.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Giulio Douhet and the Origins of Air Power Theory
• 2. Trenchard and "Morale Bombing": The evolution of Royal Air Force doctrine before World War II
• 3. John C. Slessor and the Genesis of Air Interdiction
• 4. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Britain's Fleet Air Arm before World War II
• 5. The Impact of Tecnhology and Design Choice on the Development of US Fighter Aircraft
• 6. Clipping the Bomber's Wings: The Geneva Disarmament Conference and the Royal Air Force, 1932-34
• 7. Air Power and Joint Operations During World War II
• 8. The B-29 Air Campaign against Japan
• 9. Air Strategy: Targeting for effect
• 10. Precision Aerospace Power, Discrimination and the Future of War
• 11. Gradual Escalation: A return to the future?
• 12. The Versailles Treaty and Iraq: The road to Munich
• 13. Aerospace Power and the Post-Kosovo World
• 14. Strategic Implications for the Aerospace Nation.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

These essays cover a wide range of subjects and tell the story of air power's evolution over the past century. The author discusses the golden age of air theory before World War II, examining the ideas of British, American and continental airmen. In the great test of World War II, he covers some of the key roles played by air power in both Europe and the Pacific. Reviewing the Cold War era, Meilinger relates how airmen had to grapple not only with nuclear war planning, but also the requirement to wage limited wars in Korea and Vietnam. After the fall of the Soviet Union airmen once again had to rethink the role of air power, while also waging decisive air campaigns in Iraq and the Balkans. The final essays deal with the opportunities presented by what is now termed aerospace power, as well as some of the challenges of the new millennium.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
According to the author all aircrews, tacticians and those who direct them have to realise the limitations of air power during conflicts. For years opinion has differed as to whether the aircraft has altered war strategies or merely the tactics of war. This volume explores the limits of airpower.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)