The Rise of American Air Power: The Creation of Armageddon

by Michael S. Sherry

Book Overview

The Bancroft Prize-winning history of American strategic bombing

"Sherry has given us more than just a major contribution to the literature about air power and World War Two. His real subject is nothing less than the destructiveness of our modern age."--John W. Dower, author of War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War

This book offers an in-depth history of American strategic bombing. With impressive...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300044143
• ISBN13: 9780300044140
• Release Date: September 1989
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 478 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.1" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

A great look at the birth of American strategic bombing

This was required reading for a graduate course in the history of American military affairs. Michael Sherry's book was an examination of America's development stream of strategic airpower from pre-World War I fictional literature of H.G. Wells through the prophetic writings of aviation proponents, such as Giulio Douhet and Colonel Billy Mitchell, and through the Army Air Corps' precision bombing doctrine developed in the 1930's and used in World War II. The strength of Sherry's thesis was in how he expertly explained why leaders in the post World War I Army Air Corps (AAC) used an evolving set of doctrinal concepts; mainly in hopes of convincing political and military leaders for the need to create an autonomous Air Force. Soon after World War I, Mitchell's aviators sunk a captured German battleship to prove that battleships were no longer the preeminent offensive weapon. He also hoped it proved that bombers were the best defensive weapon America had in its arsenal to keep its shores free from enemy naval attack. In the early 1930's, the military's budget was extremely tight and the AAC was developing the new doctrine of precision daylight bombing for several reasons, according to Sherry's astute research. Aviators argued that an accurate bomber was cheap, practical and a humane weapon of war, since accurate bombers would target an enemy's war making industrial base. Besides the old coastal defense mission, accurate bombers would become America's ultimate strategic offensive weapons. The AAC strategists' best argument was that the U.S. had an incredible advantage of defense in depth since it was protected by two large oceans. Thus, "...for the foreseeable future, the United States, with probable allies abroad (especially in Europe) or bases close to likely enemies (such as the Philippines near Japan), could inflict air attack with little fear of retaliation" (53). All of these arguments buttressed the AAC's push to create an independent Air Force. However, there were several instances where Sherry's book lacked objectivity. Brevity demands I only point out one flaw in particular. In his chapter entitled The Sources of Technological Fanaticism, Sherry made an incredibly flawed argument that American leaders and its populace were racists, which was the main reason he thought they found justification to use incendiary bombs and two nuclear bombs against the Japanese. "Most tellingly indicative of American racial passions was the persisting image of the Japanese as even more fanatical than the Germans. In the end the Germans proved the more fanatical, both in resisting through the actual invasion and dismemberment of their homeland and in treating captive populations with disciplined ferocity the Japanese could not match" (244). Sherry's naïve statement ignores the brutal fighting Americans' endured against the Japanese on Iwo Jima, Tarawa, and Guadalcanal, just to mention a few small island invasions. Nobody can prove how fanatical

Extremely good book

This book is a very comprehensive and authoritative account of the birth and the growth of the U.S. air forces. This is the best book I have read on this topic, and the work is so detailed and encompasses all aspects of the evolution of air power from the first theorists of what air warfare would entail to creation of a separate branch of the military for the Air Force to what the future may hold for this aspect of warfare. Mr. Sherry goes into great depth writing about the philosophy behind the men who helped to create the Air Force and those who fought for it. At its beginnings it was thought (much like nuclear weapons) that this method of warfare would be so terrible, so horrific that it would force an end to all war. It was thought that an attack on a nation's capitol or major cities would cause the civilian populations to panic and flee causing economic collapse and thus quick ends to any war. Of course WWII completely eradicated this myth. Instead of a new weapon that assured no more war, air power just became a an aspect that ensures that the price of war is increased and is now paid by civilian and soldier alike. He also chronicles the failures of combat thinking, planning and philosophy during WWII. Hundreds of thousands of people died in useless bombings that had no strategic value whatsoever and did not hasten the end of hostilities at all. The fire bombings of Japan and the Dresden bombings were examples of the needless destruction of innocent lives. Mr. Sherry details many of the fire bombings of Japan and gives the reader the Japanese (or victims) perspective of this horrible new weapon. Mr. Sherry discusses the strategic limitations of this warfare and why it failed to bring about the surrender of the Axis powers even with the horrendous tolls it took during the war. He discusses how air power still looms as a potential disaster for all people. This is an extremely thorough and scholarly look into all aspects of air power, and how it affects warfare and peace for every nation. It is a fascinating read and one that I felt taught me so much that I would not have gotten from any other single book. If you only read one book on air power make sure it is this one because it is the only one you will ever need.