Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan, 1942-1945 - Softcover

"The story of how B-29s and lesser aircraft ended the Pacific War is wonderfully told by Barrett Tillman in "Whirlwind. . . . "He conveys details of the great Tokyo fire raid and the atomic obliteration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in terms that are fresh. . . . Tillman is a master storyteller." --Daniel Ford, "The Wall Street Journal" "Engaging and very readable. Tillman is the first to integrate all the elements of the final air offensive against Japan in a single volume. . . . He draws valuable fresh perspective from the many interviews of veterans that he has conducted over the years." --John Lundstrom, U.S. Naval Institute "Proceedings" Advance Praise for "WHIRLWIND" "Sweeping and authoritative, Barrett Tillman's "Whirlwind "puts the reader in the cockpit as Allied and Japanese airmen battle to the death in the broad skies of the Pacific, but never loses sight of the larger strategic issues and perspectives of the war, nor of the human cost that it extracted." --Richard Hallion, former chief historian of the U.S. Air Force "Barrett Tillman's "Whirlwind" is a concise, rigorous and authoritative miracle of military history. It's also a great read. I couldn't put it down." --Stephen Hunter, author of "I, Sniper" and "The 47th Samurai" " "Whirlwind" is the most authoritative account ever of the terrifying American air war against Japan, which both forced Tokyo's surrender and saved countless lives in the long run. This powerful book should put an end to the misguided moralizing to the contrary." --Andrew Nagorski, author of "The Greatest Battle """Whirlwind" has the critical elements to separate it from the pack of cockpit and command aviation histories: it is vivid, lucid and human. But it is something much more: it provides the essential foundation for the examination of the impact of conventional airpower as a fundamental cause of Japan's surrender." --Richard B. Frank, author of "Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire" "A sparkling tale of one of the most fascinating battlefronts of World War II. Tillman pulls together the aerial battles, planning sessions, kills and sacrifices into a coherent narrative that will leave readers pondering the fate of nations and individuals in war, when the call is often to perform the impossible and the call is met with surprising frequency." --Robert W. Merry, author of "A Country of Vast Designs" "This is a story of great heroism and of technological triumph on a grand scale--the building of the B-29 alone is worth a book--and of the vindication of air power as the ultimate weapon of war. "Whirlwind" isf ""Whirlwind" is a definitive history of the WW II air assault on Japan and is superb reading. I highly recommend it as a must for all military historians."--Cdr. Doug Siegfried, USN (Ret), "The Hook" ""Whirlwind . . . "offers an impressive 360-degree look at the air offensive against Japan's home islands. All of the story's major elements are here, as well as some frequently omitted. . . . While several worthy books have covered aspects of this air effort, none offers the comprehensive inter-service and international perspective of this concise account." --Richard R. Muller, "World War II "magazine "Barrett Tillman is one superb military aviation historian. . . . An epic story told by a master historian." --Robert B. Loring, "Leatherneck" magazine "A well-written, bright and insightful tour of the last definitive period of the Pacific war. . . . Tillman is one of this country's most respected aviation historians. . . . It's all here with the usual Tillman stamp of authority and occasional grim, irreverent humor. . . . "Whirlwind "will not disappoint." --Peter Mersky, "Wings of Gold "

Whirlwindis the first book to tell the complete, awe-inspiring story of the Allied air war against Japan-the most important strategic bombing campaign in history. From the audacious Doolittle raid in 1942 to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.In 1945, award-winning historian Barrett Tillman recounts the saga from the perspectives of American and British aircrews who flew unprecedented missions over thousands of miles of ocean, as well as of the generals and admirals who commanded them. Whirlwindis one of the last histories of World War II written with the contribution of men who fought in it. With unexcelled macro- and micro-perspectives, standing as a reference on the war, on multi-service operations, and on the human capacity for individual heroism and national folly.