Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force, 1947-1997 - Hardcover

Boyne, Walter J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312154747 ISBN 13: 9780312154745

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 1997

Synopsis

Beyond the Wild Blue is a fascinating look at fifty turbulent years of Air Force history. From the prop-driven armada of World War II to the most advanced Stealth weaponry, from pioneers like General Henry "Hap" Arnold to glorious conquests in the Gulf War, Beyond the Wild Blue is a high-flying study of the triumphs (and failures) of leadership and technology

About this title

About the Author:

Walter J. Boyne is the former director of the National Air & Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Boyne's books have made both the fiction and the nonfiction bestseller lists of The New York Times. His novels Roaring Thunder and Supersonic Thunder cover the first forty-four years of jet aviation. His critically acclaimed nonfiction book, Dawn Over Kitty Hawk, recounts the story of the Wright Brothers. A retired Air Force Colonel, Boyne was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame class of 2007.

From Kirkus Reviews:

A survey of air force history from the time it succeeded the old Army Air Corps after WW II. Retired Air Force colonel and military historian Boyne (Clash of the Titans, 1995, etc.) writes of the enormous changes in postwar US air power wrought by the chance of the Cold War turning hot. Boyne criticizes the rapid demobilization of our powerful armed forces after WW II and Truman's deep cuts in the defense budget. Boyne's hero is the WW II general Henry ``Hap'' Arnold, the visionary architect of air power and the advocate of constant technical research and development; he aggressively pushed for intense training, an action that made possible the air force of today. He credits our rapidly rebuilt air power with saving American and South Korean forces from defeat in the early days of the Korean War; argues that the Strategic Air Command was crucial in preventing nuclear war; and reminds us of the success of the Berlin airlift and other humanitarian efforts. Boyne's villain is former defense secretary Robert McNamara, whom he blames for losing the Vietnam War as a result of his arrogant disregard of military advice, but he is strangely uncritical of President Johnson, the commander-in-chief. He credits Nixon's bombing offensive with forcing North Vietnam to the peace table. Reagan's great increase in military budgets, and the subsequent growth of the air force, won the Cold War and the Gulf War, in his view. He sees today's air force as the best on the planet, reflecting ``Hap'' Arnold's vision and faith. A comprehensive study of the development of the air force and a spirited argument for the necessity of long-term planning. (color and b&w photos, not seen) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0312154747
• ISBN 13: 9780312154745
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 442