World War II: Air War

by Stephen W. Sears

The air war over Europe during World War II proved that combat in the sky can be even more devastating than combat on the ground. When the war ended, every major city in Germany was virtually destroyed. A German writer admitted that his own nation, in taking up the sword to conquer the world, had "summoned up those bands of furies which raced across the German skies." Here, from the acclaimed historian Stephen W. Sears, is the story of Europe's air war.

Genres: History, World War II, Military History, Nonfiction

119 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 19, 2015

About the author

Stephen Ward Sears is an American historian specializing in the American Civil War.

A graduate of Lakewood High School and Oberlin College, Sears attended a journalism seminar at Radcliffe-Harvard. As an author he has concentrated on the military history of the American Civil War, primarily the battles and leaders of the Army of the Potomac. He was employed as editor of the Educational Department at the American Heritage Publishing Company.

Sears resides in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, very simplified look at the air war over Europe in WWII that covers the planes, strategy, tactics, & basic duties of the brave men that flew those metal coffins on both sides. There were some great excerpts from diaries to lend authenticity. This high view won't tell anyone what it was like, but it would be a good guide before drilling down further.

The differences in the strategy between the RAF & the AAF were interesting & Sears points out how they used various models of aircraft to fit, what targets they went after, & how well their goals were met. Casualties were mentioned as numbers, rarely percentages, although that was easy enough to figure out. They were staggering & awful.

Well narrated & as much as I want to know about this particular subject at this time. I'm going to look for other such books by him, though.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Review of the Audiobook

Published by Highbridge in February of 2017
Read by Paul Boehmer
Duration: 2 hours, 47 minutes
Unabridged

Stephen W. Sears used to write for the magazine American Heritage and in that capacity more than 50 years ago he wrote a short and simple history of the air war over Europe in World War II. It was designed to be an introductory read for high school students. I am not sure if this audio edition is the same book, but it is serves the same purpose.

If you are a casual student of World War II, the kind of person that watches an occasional documentary from the time to time, this is the perfect book. There are details, but not enough to drown the reader. Sears moves the story along at a brisk pace, but still slows down enough to tell a personal story to remind the reader that this was a real story full of real people. He is more likely to tell the story of the average airman than of the generals.

Sears discusses...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2017/...

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. It's an informative and easy to read rundown of the USAAF bombing campaign against Germany during WW2 that lays out the basic facts. It's well written and is a good choice for someone new to the topic.

[Joe Stufflebeam · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there are bits and pieces of interesting detail, the book in general fails to capture a necessary level of depth for such an important part of history and the war in Europe specifically.

[Jordan Gillette]

War is always sad. Even seeing the great achievements, it still is sad to see t he loses.

[Charles W. Jennings · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me this book lacks the depth and personal details of those involved. It is a decent overview of the air war in Europe and the challenges faced by all those involved.

[Bruce Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, but very limited. Too little info on British, German, and Japanese aviation resources, tactics, successes, and failures.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Good for what it is, essentially a selection of certain major air combat operations in the European Theater of WWII. Fast read and easily understandable.

[Levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good overview. It doesn't go into depth, but it is a good start for studying the air war over Europe during WWII.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine book about a deadly aspect of the war in Europe. Battles such as Schweinfurt, Regensberg, and Ploesti cost many planes and men before air superiority could be achieved. Little did Germany realize what their war policies could cost such cities as Hamburg and Dresden. The controversy over the latter battle remains even now. Unfortunately, war can become a Pandora' s Box.

[Jay E Beard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read

Historically accurate with a human prospective that shows how narrow the allied victory was achieved, and how impossible it would have been with out air supremacy a new concept in world war two.