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Bird Men: The Rise of American Airpower and the Machine That Ended World War II – A WWII History of American Airpower and the Superfortress That Changed the Course of the War
Bestselling author of The Arsenal of Democracy and The Accidental President, A. J. Baime returns with the incredible story of the airplane that ended World War II, the B-29 Superfortress, the rise of American airpower, and the man who made it all possible.
Of all the feats of American ingenuity in World War II, perhaps none was as impressive in scale or vital to the Allied victory as the creation of American airpower. Just a few years before the start of World War II, the American military was stuck in the dark ages of aviation, with the U.S. Army’s Air Corps mainly focused, not on combat, but on mail delivery. Fast forward to end of the war, and America had launched the most impressive flying machine the world had ever the B-29 Superfortress, a weapon so essential to ending the war that its research and development process cost more than the Manhattan Project.
Now A. J. Baime, one of our foremost chroniclers of twentieth-century history, returns with the story of this remarkable turnaround, detailing the creation of the Superfortress and how U.S. General Hap Arnold made the rise of American airpower a reality. Through the lens of Arnold’s remarkable career—stretching from the dawn of aviation until the creation of the U.S. Air Force—Baime tells a sweeping story of American ingenuity, perseverance, and resilience, as the brightest minds from around the country came together to create the planes and the air strategy that carried the Allies to victory. From the crowded assembly lines of American factories to antiaircraft fire in the skies over Western Europe to the machinations of Roosevelt’s Oval Office, Baime masterfully recreates the decisions, weapons, and victories that demonstrated to the world that whoever controlled the skies would win the war and control the future. Yet it was the Superfortress that brought it all together, culminating with the delivery of atomic bombs which could not have been carried by any other plane in the U.S. arsenal.
What emerges is a book that rightfully places the creation of World War II airpower in the pantheon of American technological achievements alongside the Manhattan Project and the Space Race. In the end, the Superfortress did more than win the war—it made America a superpower.
Of all the feats of American ingenuity in World War II, perhaps none was as impressive in scale or vital to the Allied victory as the creation of American airpower. Just a few years before the start of World War II, the American military was stuck in the dark ages of aviation, with the U.S. Army’s Air Corps mainly focused, not on combat, but on mail delivery. Fast forward to end of the war, and America had launched the most impressive flying machine the world had ever the B-29 Superfortress, a weapon so essential to ending the war that its research and development process cost more than the Manhattan Project.
Now A. J. Baime, one of our foremost chroniclers of twentieth-century history, returns with the story of this remarkable turnaround, detailing the creation of the Superfortress and how U.S. General Hap Arnold made the rise of American airpower a reality. Through the lens of Arnold’s remarkable career—stretching from the dawn of aviation until the creation of the U.S. Air Force—Baime tells a sweeping story of American ingenuity, perseverance, and resilience, as the brightest minds from around the country came together to create the planes and the air strategy that carried the Allies to victory. From the crowded assembly lines of American factories to antiaircraft fire in the skies over Western Europe to the machinations of Roosevelt’s Oval Office, Baime masterfully recreates the decisions, weapons, and victories that demonstrated to the world that whoever controlled the skies would win the war and control the future. Yet it was the Superfortress that brought it all together, culminating with the delivery of atomic bombs which could not have been carried by any other plane in the U.S. arsenal.
What emerges is a book that rightfully places the creation of World War II airpower in the pantheon of American technological achievements alongside the Manhattan Project and the Space Race. In the end, the Superfortress did more than win the war—it made America a superpower.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A captivating well written account of how America rose to prominence as an Air Force super power.
Focusing on the career of General Henry “Hap” Arnold, a believer and “proselytizer of the war winning potential of air power,” the book sets out to tell the story of America’s air dominance. In the 30s Arnold took a small force and made it a “juggernaut.” His creation of the B-29 bomber, the Superfortress, is particularly noteworthy. While not always complimentary of the British bombing at night, Arnold’s subordinate, Curtis LeMay, used the B-29s to carry out night missions, often incendiary. There are a lot of lively air battles and stories of the air pioneers in the book adding to its enjoyment.
What was particularly interesting to me was the history detailing “the visionaries, engineers, and crews behind the revolutionary” B-29. Its cost to develop actually exceeded the cost of the Manhattan Project. Its importance shows in a 50s movie starring Jimmy Stewart (a real "rah, rah America worthy story too) At the end of the war though, the technological developments made during it helped develop commercial aviation.
This is an easy-to-read book for lovers of history - any kind of - as well as those who enjoy military history. Great read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for granting me access to this ARC.
Focusing on the career of General Henry “Hap” Arnold, a believer and “proselytizer of the war winning potential of air power,” the book sets out to tell the story of America’s air dominance. In the 30s Arnold took a small force and made it a “juggernaut.” His creation of the B-29 bomber, the Superfortress, is particularly noteworthy. While not always complimentary of the British bombing at night, Arnold’s subordinate, Curtis LeMay, used the B-29s to carry out night missions, often incendiary. There are a lot of lively air battles and stories of the air pioneers in the book adding to its enjoyment.
What was particularly interesting to me was the history detailing “the visionaries, engineers, and crews behind the revolutionary” B-29. Its cost to develop actually exceeded the cost of the Manhattan Project. Its importance shows in a 50s movie starring Jimmy Stewart (a real "rah, rah America worthy story too) At the end of the war though, the technological developments made during it helped develop commercial aviation.
This is an easy-to-read book for lovers of history - any kind of - as well as those who enjoy military history. Great read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for granting me access to this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Bird Men by A. J. Baime is another excellent example of Baime's skill as a narrative non-fiction writer. While Henry "Hap" Arnold is the leading character in this soaring history of American military air power, it is not an Arnold hagiography. It is a dive in to Arnold's foundational role in the growth of American air might and what happened a long the way. Baime does not shy away from the sins that happened along the way, in particular whether or not the U.S. was guilty of war crimes based on the utter destruction thrust upon Japan at the end of World War II. The pacing of the writing is not quite as energetic as some of Baime's other works but I would suggest that's down to the heaviness of the subject matter. This is a very good read. Thank you to #netgalley and #marinerbooks for the opportunity to preview this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
American air power today seems like a given. It seems like it is just the way it has always been. But it was a hard fight convincing government officials and swaying public opinion. This book follows the pioneers of military aviation, as they fight to make everyone see that machinery is changing the way wars are fought and won. Pushing the envelope on what planes are capable of and believing in the long range bomber that would help win WWII.
Loved this book, I had never really thought about the use of airplanes starting in WWI and then exploding during WWII. I never knew a world without the Airforce, so never really thought about those that championed it and finally got it recognized as a separate military entity. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
Loved this book, I had never really thought about the use of airplanes starting in WWI and then exploding during WWII. I never knew a world without the Airforce, so never really thought about those that championed it and finally got it recognized as a separate military entity. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Birdmen: The The Rise of American Airpower and the Machine That Ended World War II by A.J. Baime is a thrilling history of flight, technical advancement, and warfare.
Part history and part biography, we follow the life and career of General Hap Arnold, a true visionary, who saw the potential of Airpower. Through his leadership, and determination, he helped grow the American Air force to a superpower with its Superfortress.
From the Wright Brothers to the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, A.J. Baime presents the development of flight and war and the weapons of destruction. He deals with the philosophical justification and need for these weapons. Weapons of peace?
I enjoyed this book and heartily recommend it.
Thank you Netgalley and Mariner Books for this e-arc
Part history and part biography, we follow the life and career of General Hap Arnold, a true visionary, who saw the potential of Airpower. Through his leadership, and determination, he helped grow the American Air force to a superpower with its Superfortress.
From the Wright Brothers to the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, A.J. Baime presents the development of flight and war and the weapons of destruction. He deals with the philosophical justification and need for these weapons. Weapons of peace?
I enjoyed this book and heartily recommend it.
Thank you Netgalley and Mariner Books for this e-arc
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.
This book tells the story of General Henry "Hap" Arnold and his rise to command the United States Army Air Force during World War II, along with the story of his involvement and dedication to getting the B-29 Superfortress bomber fully operational in order to bomb Japan into submission. The book starts with the humble beginnings of American air power prior to World War I and concludes with the triumphant bombing campaign which helped force Japan to surrender without a costly invasion. While Arnold is the primary focus of the book, other notable advocates of American air power are present in varying degrees as well: Billy Mitchell, James Doolittle, Ira Eaker, Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, Curtis LeMay and Paul Tibbetts.
The book is very well-written, informative, and a smooth read. Since the book was an ARC, it did not have any maps and literally only one photograph, so let's hope the finished version at least has more photos.
This book tells the story of General Henry "Hap" Arnold and his rise to command the United States Army Air Force during World War II, along with the story of his involvement and dedication to getting the B-29 Superfortress bomber fully operational in order to bomb Japan into submission. The book starts with the humble beginnings of American air power prior to World War I and concludes with the triumphant bombing campaign which helped force Japan to surrender without a costly invasion. While Arnold is the primary focus of the book, other notable advocates of American air power are present in varying degrees as well: Billy Mitchell, James Doolittle, Ira Eaker, Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, Curtis LeMay and Paul Tibbetts.
The book is very well-written, informative, and a smooth read. Since the book was an ARC, it did not have any maps and literally only one photograph, so let's hope the finished version at least has more photos.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews