Hap Arnold: The General Who Invented the US Air Force

by Bill Yenne

Overview

General Henry Harley “Hap” Arnold is widely considered the father of the United States Air Force. But his long list of accomplishments doesn’t begin or end there. He was also the first and only five-star general of the US Air Force; one of the first US military aviators; the first American to carry air mail; and the architect of the war-winning air strategy of World War II.

In this new biography of one of the American military’s most towering figures, author Bill Yenne weaves the story of Hap Arnold’s life, from his youthful days as a cunning prankster to his sunset career as an elder statesman. All along, Yenne unfolds General Arnold’s life like the adventure story it is. A bold advocate for technological advancement, Hap Arnold was a powerful character in the golden age of aviation, an innovative warrior in the conflict that defined the modern era, and the creator of an entirely new branch of the US military.

Hap Arnold: The General Who Invented the US Air Force is a page-turning adventure biography for history buffs, aviation enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the events that shaped America and the world in the first half of the twentieth century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621570813
Publisher:	Skyhorse Publishing
Publication date:	10/14/2013
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Bill Yenne is the author of numerous books on military and aviation history, including Superfortress: The Boeing B-29 and American Airpower in World War II with General Curtis LeMay. His recent dual biography of Dick Bong and Tommy McGuire, Aces High: The Heroic Saga of the Two Top-Scoring American Aces of World War II, was described by pilot and bestselling author Dan Roam as “the greatest flying story of all time.” Air Force Magazine wrote that his history of the Strategic Air Command “deserves a place on any airman’s bookshelf.” The Wall Street Journal notes that he writes with “cinematic vividness.” Yenne is a member of the American Aviation Historical Society. To learn more, visit www.BillYenne.com.

Editorial Reviews

2013-10-01
Overshadowed by figures like Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur, U.S. Army Air Corps commander Henry Harold "Hap" Arnold deserves just as much credit for the Allied victory in World War II, this new biography argues. Commissioned a lieutenant in the infantry upon graduating from West Point, Arnold's interest in aviation began in 1909 when he saw his first airplane in flight. Taught to fly by the Wright Brothers, Arnold transferred to the aeronautical division of the Army Signal Corps and began his distinguished career as a military aviation pioneer. A protégé of the controversial visionary general Billy Mitchell, Arnold rose to command the Army Air Corps immediately prior to the U.S. entry into World War II and directed its expansion into the largest and most powerful airborne military force in the world. An advocate of technological research and development, he oversaw the development of the intercontinental bomber, the jet fighter, the extensive use of radar, global airlift and atomic warfare as mainstays of modern air power. In this admiring, detailed biography, Yenne chronicles Arnold's many accomplishments, explaining how the strategic bombing campaigns against Germany and Japan Arnold conceived contributed to their defeat. Curiously lacking is any discussion of the highly controversial decision of the Allies to shift from strategic to area bombings of Germany and Japan after their defeat was inevitable. An informative biography aviation enthusiasts and military-history buffs will find most appealing. (photos, appendices, bibliography, index) (Biography. 13 & up)

Kirkus Reviews