Those incredible young men in their flying machines at war
This excellent book contains nearly thirty accounts of the extraordinary exploits of allied airman at war in the skies high above the mud, barbed wire and trenches of the Western Front during the First World War. Enthusiasts of the subject and period will find much here to interest them as the author takes us aloft with the Ariel V. C's, into No Man's Land, on bombing raids, through mid-air pistol duels, up with the kite-balloons, with the sea-planes over the cold and inhospitable ocean and many other fascinating accounts of the earliest days of air combat and the brave, individualistic aviators who fought it. This an ideal book for those with a fascination for the time when flight meant a flimsy machine of wire, canvas and wood with a hero at the controls. Available in soft cover and hard cover with dust jacket.

This is the story of American volunteer pilots who risked their lives in defense of Britain during the earliest days of World War II--more than a year before Pearl Harbor, when the United States first became embroiled in the global conflict. Based on interviews, diaries, personal documents, and research in British, American, and German archives, the author has created a colorful portrait of this small group who were our nation's first combatants in World War II. As the author's research shows, their motives were various: some were idealistic; others were simply restless and looking for adventure. And though the British air force needed pilots, cultural conflicts between the raw American recruits and their reserved British commanders soon became evident. Prejudices on both sides and lack of communication had to be overcome. Eventually, the American pilots were assembled into three squadrons known as the Eagle squadrons. They saw action and suffered casualties in both England and France, notably in the attack on Dieppe. By September 1942, after America had entered the war, these now experienced pilots were transferred to the US air force, bringing their expertise and their British Spitfires with them. As much social as military history, Yanks in the RAF sheds new light on a little-known chapter of World War II and the earliest days of the sometimes fractious British-American alliance.

'AMERICAN EAGLES' is the thrilling, true story of the US 101st Airborne Division. From their rigorous training in 'Old Jolly' (England) to their first operational jump in Normandy, Whiting tells the story of this 'Band of Brothers', who fought, suffered and died in the eleven month campaign that followed. From Normandy through Holland, Bastogne, French Alsace till their final date with destiny at Hitler's Eagle's Nest in the Bavarian Alps, we gain a picture of a brave elite division 'warts and all'. Drawing on his own youthful experiences when his regiment was under the command of 101st Airborne in Holland, through painstaking research on the site of each of the 101st's battles, plus survivors stories, Whiting, perhaps Britain's most renowned popular WWII military historian, provides an ideal companion for the viewers of Steven Spielberg's celebrated $100 million TV series 'Band of Brothers'.

This study provides an overview of the International Air Force (IAF) concept, which emerged in the early 20th century out of a long progression of schemes for creating multi-national armed forces to enforce the peace, most often referred to as an international police force (IPF). After broadly tracing the IAF's complex lineage, Beaumont surveys the proliferation of IPF and IAF proposals throughout the 20th century, including schemes offered by Kipling, H.G. Wells, and Theodore Roosevelt. Later ideas included the Allies' Independent Air Force of 1917-18, the evolution of the League to Enforce Peace into the League of Nations, imperial air policing between the World Wars, and a host of proposals, official and informal, such as visions of a United Nations IAF and the ad hoc coalition air forces assembled by the major western powers in the Gulf War and the Balkans in the 1990s.

The IAF concept gained far greater popularity, even among contemporary historians, than is generally appreciated. Beaumont interweaves the review of the IAF and IPF designs with diplomacy and war, especially the rise of air power, and the confounding of its advocates' visions of a cheap, quick road to victory. Based on Beaumont's survey of secondary and primary sources during more than a decade of research, this book considers the IAF image from such diverse perspectives as pacifism, popular culture, and collective security.

In an increasingly dynamic and competitive world, organizations of all kinds are continually looking for leaders who can most effectively inspire others to improve productivity and performance. Yet, meeting goals and objectives is no longer enough. Leaders who exceed expectations will be in the best position to emerge as the superstars of their generation. General Looney reflects upon his most formidable experiences during a 40-year career and articulates his leadership philosophy, which is built around a very simple notion -- the greatest leaders are those who not only exceed expectations, but also inspire others to do the same.

In the 1930s, as nations braced for war, the German military build up caught Britain and the United States off-guard, particularly in aviation technology. The unending quest for speed resulted in the need for radical alternatives to piston engines. In Germany, Dr. Hans von Ohain was the first to complete a flight-worthy turbojet engine for aircraft. It was installed in a Heinkel designed aircraft, and the Germans began the jet age on August 27, 1939. The Germans led the jet race throughout the war and were the first to produce jet aircraft for combat operations. In England, the doggedly determined Frank Whittle also developed a turbojet engine, but without the support enjoyed by his German counterpart. The British came second in the jet race when Whittle's engine powered the Gloster Pioneer on May 15, 1941. The Whittle-Gloster relationship continued and produced the only Allied combat jet aircraft during the war, the Meteor, which was relegated to Home Defense in Britain. In America, General Electric copied the Whittle designs, and Bell Aircraft contracted to build the first American jet plane. On October 1, 1942, a lackluster performance from the Bell Airacomet, ushered in the American jet age. The Yanks forged ahead, and had numerous engine and airframe programs in development by the end of the war. But, the Germans did it right and did it first, while the Allies lagged throughout the war, only rising to technological prominence on the ashes of the German defeat. Pavelec's analysis of the jet race uncovers all the excitement in the high-stakes race to develop effective jet engines for warfare and transport.

Originally published in 1998 by the United States Air Force History and Museums Program. Illustrated.

One of the many neglected chapters in the Indian military history is the role played by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The only document on the subject is a 25-page chapter in the unpublished Official History, which fails to do justice to the vital and remarkable role played by the IAF in some of the most hostile operating conditions found anywhere in the world. This work attempts to fill this vital gap. The Indian Air Force had been involved in the build-up in Ladakh and NEFA right from the time the first of many posts was set up in 1950. Thereafter, it was its responsibility to support and sustain the posts set up in both the sectors as well as various patrols that were sent forward to show the Indian flag. The IAF was also involved in the Army's build-up. This was one continuous operation for the IAF, day in day out - the only break that the aircrew could get was due to bad weather. The main test for the IAF came when the Indians and Chinese came face-to-face at Thagla ridge and the Chinese invasion commenced soon thereafter. The demand for airlift suddenly increased manifold with an urgency associated with forces that have been caught unprepared. The IAF met the challenge, the ground crews working round the clock and the aircrews flying in conditions that are difficult to imagine. There is no other instance in aviation history wherein any air force has been able to increase its effort almost ten times - the IAF's resources were already stretched even before September 1962. Each and every demand of the Army was met without a murmur and not a single adversity could be attributed to the inability of the IAF to deliver. What is not surprising is that the credit that is due to it for its efforts has eluded it so far because no attention has been paid to the role played by the IAF in this war. The story would have been altogether different if the combat elements of the IAF had been utilised - the reasons for the same still remain shrouded in mystery. Another chapter in the IAF's history about which very little is known is its efforts to modernise post 1962. This work attempts to unravel these mysteries as well as describes the valiant efforts of the air warriors of the IAF.

More than 100 legendary pilots have granted and shared personal glimpses of their illustrious military careers to help create this tribute to the American Fighter Ace. "In Their Own Words: True Stories and Adventures of the American Fighter Ace" explores and illustrates the courage, resourcefulness and patriotism of America's fighter aces. These heroic flyers have given personal glimpses and recollections on what it took to fly, fight and survive combat missions in World War II and Korea.

When the United States went to war in April 1917 the Army's Air Service had one squadron of obsolete aircraft. By November 1918 the Air Service had aero squadrons which were specialized in air combat, observation, bombing, and photography. Each combat division habitually had an air observation squadron and a balloon company attached. This work also details the efforts of the Air Service to construct a massive system of supply, repair, and maintenance. Questions such as the training of flyers, observers, and balloonists are also explored.

During Desert Shield, the Air Force built a very complicated organizational architecture to control large numbers of air sorties. During the air campaign itself, officers at each level of the Central Command Air Forces believed they were managing the chaos of war. Yet, when the activities of the many significant participants are pieced together, it appears that neither the planners nor Lt. Gen. Charles A. Horner, the Joint Force Air Component Commander, knew the details of what was happening in the air campaign or how well the campaign was going. There was little appreciation of the implications of complex organizational architectures for military command and control. Against a smarter and more aggressive foe, the system may well have failed.