Blankets of Fire: U.S. Bombers over Japan During World War II (Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight (Paperback))

Rating:
Summary: Excellent account of the Strategic Bombing Campaign
Review: I was unsure if I would like this book at first, all a bit too technical. I was wrong, this was a very easy to read and well presented book covering the American Strategic bomber campaign against Japan using the B29 Bomber. It was a well researched account and the technical details in relation to the design & construction of the perfect bomber, training and weapons & tactics used were so well written that the narrative never got boring. Although the subject matter was horrific, the raids against Japanese cities and civilians, the book was a non-bias account of this necessary campaign. I found this book hard to put down and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about this period of WW2 history. Well done to the author!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent account of the Strategic Bombing Campaign
Review: I was unsure if I would like this book at first, all a bit too technical. I was wrong, this was a very easy to read and well presented book covering the American Strategic bomber campaign against Japan using the B29 Bomber. It was a well researched account and the technical details in relation to the design & construction of the perfect bomber, training and weapons & tactics used were so well written that the narrative never got boring. Although the subject matter was horrific, the raids against Japanese cities and civilians, the book was a non-bias account of this necessary campaign. I found this book hard to put down and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about this period of WW2 history. Well done to the author!

Rating:
Summary: Good history of B-29s over Japan
Review: The author was a B-50 Superfort pilot stationed in Japan before he became a history professor, so he's uniquely qualified to write this study of American airpower and how it led to the fire-bombing of Japanese cities. What's more, he's not in the least apologetic. Those who sow the storm reap the whirlwind. Tho it's written in the classic university-press prose, I just couldn't put it down. Werrell livens almost every page with a quote or an observation that's just right. -- Dan Ford