A History of Air Warfare

by John Andreas Olsen

Overview

***Selected for the 2010 Chief of the United States Air Force's Reading List***This one-volume anthology provides a comprehensive analysis of the role that air power has played in military conflicts over the past century. Comprising sixteen essays penned by a global cadre of leading military experts, A History of Air Warfare chronologically examines the utility of air power from the First World War to the second Lebanon war, campaign by campaign. Each essay lays out the objectives, events, and key players of the conflict in question, reviews the role of air power in the strategic and operational contexts, and explores the interplay between the political framework and military operations proper. The concluding section offers wider perspectives by focusing on air and space power in both unconventional and conventional warfare from 1913 to the present. More than a simple homage to air power, A History of Air Warfare exposes air power’s strengths and weaknesses and, where relevant, illuminates the challenges of joint operations and coalition warfare. Because of its critical approach, even treatment, and historical background, the book will appeal to modern warfare scholars, air power specialists, and general readers interested in military history alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597974332
Publisher:	Potomac Books
Publication date:	01/01/2010
Pages:	522
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

COL. JOHN ANDREAS OLSEN is currently assigned to the Norwegian Ministry of Defence and is a visiting professor of operational art and tactics at the Swedish National Defence College. His previous publications with Potomac Books include John Warden and the Renaissance of American Air Power, A History of Air Warfare, Global Air Power, and Air Commanders.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

List of Abbreviations ix

Introduction xiii

Part I 1914-1945 1

1 The First World War, 1914-1919 John H. Morrow 3

2 The Air War in Europe, 1939-1945 Richard Overy 27

3 The Air War in the Pacific, 1941-1945 Richard R. Muller 53

Part II 1945-1990 81

4 The Air War in Korea, 1950-1953 Alan Stephens 85

5 Operations over North Vietnam, 1965-1973 Wayne Thompson 107

6 Air Superiority in the Israel-Arab Wars, 1967-1982 Shmuel L. Gordon 127

7 Air Power and the Falklands, 1982 Lawrence Freedman 157

Part III 1990-2000 175

8 Operation Desert Storm, 1991 John Andreas Olsen 177

9 Operation Deliberate Force, 1995 Robert C. Owen 201

10 Operation Allied Force, 1999 Tony Mason 225

Part IV 2000-2006 253

11 Operation Enduring Freedom, 2001 Benjamin S. Lambeth 255

12 Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2003 Williamson Murray 279

13 The Second Lebanon War, 2006 Itai Brun 297

Part V Perspectives 325

14 Air Power in Small Wars: 1913 to the Present James S. Corum 327

15 The Rise and Fall of Air Power Martin van Creveld 351

16 Air and Space Power: Climbing and Accelerating Richard P. Hallion 371

Notes 395

Selected Bibliography 441

Index 453

Biographical Notes 481

Editorial Reviews

“A better qualified editor for such a volume could hardly be found. There is no better work on the general history of air warfare than this volume.”—Journal of Military History

Journal of Military History

“A fine assembly of papers on air power history and development and a ‘bible’ packed with information. This captures the changing history of air warfare and analyzes the role air power has played in military conflicts over the last century. These sixteen essays pack a punch and are a ‘must’ for any serious military history library.”—Midwest Book Review

Midwest Book Review

“The book provides the most comprehensive and best recent overview of the air warfare development, and accordingly, will be considered for the 2011 Chief of the Air Force Reading list.”—Aimpoint

Aimpoint

“A History of Air Warfare is an epic work that captures all the essential elements that have made the airplane a dominant force in warfare. The authors are the most knowledgeable for each period they chronicle. Most of all, the readers will be captivated as they relive the excitement of swirling air battles or the use of modern marvels such as stealth tactics, precision weapons, or air campaign planning. This book should be required reading for all military leaders, but it is also great entertainment for the general reader as it captures the vivid history of our new way of war.”—Gen. Charles A. Horner, USAF (Ret.)

Gen. Charles A. Horner

“Everything you need to know about the evolution of modern air warfare is here. I have been studying air warfare for over forty years now, but if I had room for only one historical volume that encapsulated the evolution of western air warfare since 1914, this would be it. It is superbly written. Should be on the syllabus for staff colleges and a must for all serious students of modern warfare.”—RUSI Journal

RUSI Journal

"Col John Olsen is one of the dominant voices in airpower history and operations in the world today. His books should be required reading for everyone in uniform."—Phillip S. Meilinger, PhD, Colonel, USAF, Retired, Strategic Studies Quarterly

Strategic Studies Quarterly - Phillip S. Meilinger

A better qualified editor for such a volume could hardly be found. There is no better work on the general history of air warfare than this volume.”

“Everything you need to know about the evolution of modern air warfare is here. I have been studying air warfare for over forty years now, but if I had room for only one historical volume that encapsulated the evolution of western air warfare since 1914, this would be it. It is superbly written. Should be on the syllabus for staff colleges and a must for all serious students of modern warfare.”

“A fine assembly of papers on air power history and development and a ‘bible’ packed with information. This captures the changing history of air warfare and analyzes the role air power has played in military conflicts over the last century. These sixteen essays pack a punch and are a ‘must’ for any serious military history library.”

“The book provides the most comprehensive and best recent overview of the air warfare development, and accordingly, will be considered for the 2011 Chief of the Air Force Reading list.”

“A History of Air Warfare is an epic work that captures all the essential elements that have made the airplane a dominant force in warfare. The authors are the most knowledgeable for each period they chronicle. Most of all, the readers will be captivated as they relive the excitement of swirling air battles or the use of modern marvels such as stealth tactics, precision weapons, or air campaign planning. This book should be required reading for all military leaders, but it is also great entertainment for the general reader as it captures the vivid history of our new way of war.”

“John Olsen has assembled the best historians of air power; the result is a superb overview, indispensable to anyone interested in how the expansion of warfare into the third dimension has transformed the art of war. A first-rate work.”

“A History of Air Warfare is . . . in a class of its own. Olsen and his very expert authors deliver on the promise of providing a history of air power that is both appreciatively celebrating and critical, as the record requires. No existing history even comes close to Olsen for domain, depth, and contextual analysis. Also, although this is an edited work by many authors, editorial guidance, keyed to clear purpose and sensible attitude, yields a well-coordinated whole; this is a history, not just a collection of useful essays. . . . Today and in the future, whatever the character of warfare, the air dimension must be significant. A History of Air Warfare, explains better than does any other book available today why this will be so.”

"Col John Olsen is one of the dominant voices in airpower history and operations in the world today. His books should be required reading for everyone in uniform."—Phillip S. Meilinger, PhD, Colonel, USAF, Retired, Strategic Studies Quarterly

From the Publisher