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Overview
From the invention of the balloon in 1783 to the terrorist abuse of air power in 2001, the quest for and use of the ability to fly has grown from novelty to necessity.Taking Alfred Thayer Mahan's classic work, The Influence of Sea Power upon History, as a starting point, noted aviation historian Walter J. Boyne analyzes how the ability to conduct military, commercial, or humanitarian operations from the air has had far-reaching implications for politics, technology, and mass culture. Boyne draws upon his extensive study of aviation to examine the development of air-power philosophy, through its theory and practice as demonstrated not only in war, but also in the myriad elements from which nations are built. Many of his conclusions will be found to be quite controversial, departing from the generally accepted scenarios of air power.
Synopsis
Including both air and aerospace military power in his considerations, Boyne (a retired U.S. Air Force colonel) surveys, in a celebratory fashion, the use of air power in international conflict. His analysis is perfectly in line with the technological fetishism of most U.S. war planners, almost invariably arguing that the imposition of superior air power is the most decisive factor in winning wars, and even suggesting that the American war in Vietnam would have been won with just a little more bombing. Chapters cover the development and deployment of air power doctrines by the United States, its allies, and its enemies in wars in which it was politically concerned. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR