World War II saw the development of the heavy bomber as a decisive weapon which, in sufficient numbers, could overcome defensive fighters and guns and lay waste to strategic targets.
Without what the Allies learned in the Mediterranean air war in 1942-1944, the Normandy landingsand so, perhaps, the Second World War IIwould have ended differently.
In light of technological advances and multiplying irregular conflicts, conventional wisdom suggests airpower as the ideal, low-cost means of conducting modern warfareand the air control method adopted by the British between the two world wars seems to back this up.
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Dutch Naval Air Force--or Marine Luchtvaart Dienst (MLD)--played a significant but largely overlooked role in the opening months of the Pacific War.
An illustrated account of the disastrous British-led effort to occupy the Dodecanese in autumn 1943, as Winston Churchill attempted to secure the Aegean islands in the wake of the Italian armistice.
Although designed as a carrier-borne interceptor, the F-4 Phantom II was a very successful ground-attack aircraft for the US Marines, paving the way for it use in this capacity by the USAF and many other air forces.
The period covered in this volume was considered to be the 'glory years' for the Jagdwaffe fresh from the experience gained in the Spanish Civil War and for the Bf 109 in particular.
Marie Marvingt (1875-1963) set the world's first women's aviation records, won the only gold medal for outstanding performance in all sports, invented the airplane ambulance, was the first female bomber pilot in history, fought in World War I disguised as a man, took part in the Resistance of World War II, was the first to survive crossing the English Channel in a balloon, worked all her life as a journalist, spent years in North Africa and invented metal skis.
'A useful contribution to an overcrowded field of history by giving deserved attention to the ordinary men and unsung machines that aren't usually included in the dramatic narrative.
The P-40E Warhawk is often viewed as one of the less successful American fighter designs of World War II, but in 1942 the aircraft was all that was available to the USAAC in-theatre.
With stunning artwork and detailed analysis, this volume provides a pilot's view of the dramatic clashes between these two legendary fighters, as some of the most gifted and 'big name' aces of World War II went head to head in the skies of North-West Europe.
"e;This account of oft-forgotten aspects of the war that is also a powerful survival story is highly recommended for the casual reader of military history as well as the serious scholar of the Pacific war.
From huddled command conferences to cramped cockpits, John Lundstrom guides readers through the maelstrom of air combat at Guadalcanal in this impressively researched sequel to his earlier study.
An illustrated combat history of the A-4 Skyhawk, which flew numerous attack missions in Israeli service and initiated the Israeli Air Force's transition from French to US aircraft.
At the beginning of 1916, as the world entered the second full year of global conflict, the cities, towns and villages of Britain continued to lay vulnerable to aerial bombardment.
The Luftwaffe's desperate reliance on jet technology led to the world's first cruise missile attack on one of the world's largest cities and also heralded the first air-to-air combat between jet-powered aircraft.
Largely responsible for crushing Japanese airpower wherever the American fast carrier force sailed, the Grumman F6F Hellcat was considered the most important Allied aircraft in the Pacific during 1943 and 1944.
An illustrated volume on the Raiden and Shiden, which both proved to be more than a match for Allied Fighters over the Pacific, ideal for those with interest in Japanese aviation during World War 2.
In this unprecedented series exploring the big story of the Battle of Britain, renowned historian Dilip Sarkar investigates the wider context and intimate details of the epic aerial conflict in the summer of 1940 from all sides.
An illustrated account of the combats in the closing months of World War II between one of America's premier fighter aeroplanes and the product of Japan's effort to introduce fighters that could match American qualitative superiority.
As a 26-year old Marine radar intercept officer (RIO), Fleet Lentz flew 131 combat missions in the back seat of the supersonic F-4 B Phantom II during the wind-down of the Vietnam War.
An illustrated study of the clashes between B-29s conducting night raids on Japan and the Japanese nightfighters protecting the Home Islands from 1944 45.
This richly-illustrated title covers the technical characteristics of the F-104 Starfighter, one of the most widely-used and popular aircraft in history.
Corporal Leonard Guttridge was among the many unsung heroes of the Battle of Britain--the Royal Air Force mechanics and armorers who patched bullet holes, repaired engines, refueled empty tanks and replenished ammunition, enabling outnumbered pilots to return to the skies.
Ever since its invention, aviation has embodied the dream of perpetual peace between nations, yet the other side of this is the nightmare of an unprecedented deadly power.
The 25 Most Influential Aircraft of All Time conveys the fascinating progression of flying technology from flimsy wood-and-fabric biplanes to thunderous supersonic wonders.
'Like The Long Reach, Down to Earth is a message from the battle at its height, told in their own words by the men who fight' - this is how Brig-Gen Francis Griswold, VIII Fighter Command, ends his introduction to this book.
