Hap: The Story of the U.S. Air Force and the Man Who Built It

by Thomas M. Coffey

General of the Air Force Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, an incurable maverick whom the U.S. Army never learned to control became, nonetheless, one of only four permanent five-star generals in the nation’s history, and one of America’s most important military leaders of all time. During forty-one years of active service, he compiled an unparalleled record as an airman and was truly the father of the modern Air Force. In 1911, four years after his graduation from West Point, the Wright brothers taught him to fly, and he became the holder of U.S. Army pilot’s license number two. His rise through the ranks was marked by controversy, and when he took command of the Army Air Corps in 1938, it was a puny collection of 20,000 men and a few hundred planes, none good enough to face Germany’s modern air force. By 1944, under the impetus of his compelling, relentless dynamism, it had grown into an organization of 2.4 million men and women and 80,000 aircraft. Never before or since has a military machine of comparable size and technical complexity been created in so short a period; at the height of World War II, Arnold commanded the mightiest air force the world had ever seen.
This is the only definitive biography of Hap Arnold. Thanks to the cooperation of the Arnold family, the Air Force, and the Library of Congress, author Thomas M. Coffey had access to Arnold’s private as well as his official papers. and those of many of his associates. Coffey’s research also included more than one hundred extensive interviews with Arnold’s surviving colleagues, friends, and family members. The result is a three-dimensional portrait, fascinating but fair, of a turbulent man and his turbulent times.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, World War II

408 pages, Hardcover

First published October 29, 1982

About the author

A former critic for the Los Angeles Mirror, Thomas Coffey grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, studied at the University of Wisconsin and served as a pilot in the Pacific during World War II.

Reviews

[Dano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding biography of a dedicated American and father of the Air Force. I highly recommend it for those serving, those who have served, and those interested in air power. Well researched and written

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and fascinating biography of the man who built up and led the U.S. Air Forces during World War II. Hard to believe there aren't more biographies, or any that are more current.

[Clayton Brannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

For you old Air Force aficionados this is a book you need to read. Well written about the father of modern American aviation.

[David Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent bio from this author. I recommend this book to everyone. This is the real history of the Air Force. I can't say enough good things about this book.