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Great Generals
LeMay: A Biography
A close look at the controversial command and strategies of the Air Force Chief of Staff, Curtis LeMay--a terrifying, complex, and brilliant general.In World War II, LeMay ordered the firebombing of Tokyo and was in charge when Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was responsible for tens of thousands of civilian deaths--a fact he liked to celebrate by smoking Cuban cigars. But LeMay was also the man who single-handedly transformed the American air force from a ramshackle team of poorly trained and badly equipped pilots into one of the fiercest and most efficient weapons of the war. Over the last decades, most U.S. military missions were carried out entirely through the employment of the Air Force; this is part of LeMay's complicated legacy.Packed with breathtaking battles in the air and inspiring leadership tactics on the ground, LeMay will keep readers on their edge of their seats.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
25 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Barrett Tillman
120 books65 followersBorn a fourth-generation Oregonian, descended from American pioneers, Revolutionary War Patriots, Pilgrims (e.g. Priscilla Alden) and Pocahontas, Tillman was raised on the family wheat and cattle ranch. His younger brothers include a breeder of exotic animals and a Rhodes Scholar. In high school he was an Eagle Scout[citation needed], won two state titles as a rudimental drummer, and was a champion speaker and debater. Tillman was first published in 1964 at age 15 and graduated from the University of Oregon in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Like his father, a Navy trained pilot in World War II, Tillman developed an early passion for aviation and learned to fly at age 16. Over the next several years he flew a variety of vintage and historic aircraft, including a pre-WW II Navy trainer and a restored dive-bomber. The latter became the subject of his first book, The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War II, published in 1976. It established the format for many subsequent books, operational histories of U.S. Navy aircraft.
After college Tillman worked as a freelance writer until 1982 when he founded Champlin Fighter Museum Press in Mesa, Arizona, publishing out-of-print and new titles on military aviation.
In 1986 he moved to San Diego to become managing editor of The Hook, quarterly journal of the Tailhook Association. He remained in that position for three years before deciding to focus full time to writing fiction. His first novel was published in June 1990. Warriors[1] depicted a Mideast air war and became an immediate best seller when Iraq invaded Kuwait two months later.
Tillman's next two novels appeared in 1992: The Sixth Battle, (written with his brother John) which captured a wide following among computer war gamers; and Dauntless, intended as the first in a trilogy. It was followed by Hellcats, nominated as military novel of the year in 1996. He has also published original fiction in the Stephen Coonts anthologies, Combat and Victory.
Tillman remains active as a magazine writer. He is a regular contributor to The Hook, Flight Journal, and several firearms publications. He has also reported from Africa for Soldier of Fortune magazine.
Tillman is a former executive secretary of the American Fighter Aces Association.[2]
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrett_...
Like his father, a Navy trained pilot in World War II, Tillman developed an early passion for aviation and learned to fly at age 16. Over the next several years he flew a variety of vintage and historic aircraft, including a pre-WW II Navy trainer and a restored dive-bomber. The latter became the subject of his first book, The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War II, published in 1976. It established the format for many subsequent books, operational histories of U.S. Navy aircraft.
After college Tillman worked as a freelance writer until 1982 when he founded Champlin Fighter Museum Press in Mesa, Arizona, publishing out-of-print and new titles on military aviation.
In 1986 he moved to San Diego to become managing editor of The Hook, quarterly journal of the Tailhook Association. He remained in that position for three years before deciding to focus full time to writing fiction. His first novel was published in June 1990. Warriors[1] depicted a Mideast air war and became an immediate best seller when Iraq invaded Kuwait two months later.
Tillman's next two novels appeared in 1992: The Sixth Battle, (written with his brother John) which captured a wide following among computer war gamers; and Dauntless, intended as the first in a trilogy. It was followed by Hellcats, nominated as military novel of the year in 1996. He has also published original fiction in the Stephen Coonts anthologies, Combat and Victory.
Tillman remains active as a magazine writer. He is a regular contributor to The Hook, Flight Journal, and several firearms publications. He has also reported from Africa for Soldier of Fortune magazine.
Tillman is a former executive secretary of the American Fighter Aces Association.[2]
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrett_...
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 7, 2022
LeMay is a fascinating and important character, but this book is terrible. I was set to give it two stars - as it gives you the factual outline of LeMay's career and accomplishments - but it is so nakedly hagiographic towards LeMay and his politics that you start to question basic accuracy. I think the most glaring for me was when the Author described George Wallace as not that racist - it was his speechwriters - and that LeMay was not racist at all since the military integrated while he was a general. The centerpiece of the Wallace/LeMay ticket was racial segregation!
The rest of the politics and representation is straight out of the John Birch society. Basically everything after LeMay earned his 2nd star is given very questionable context.
I'd skip this one and go to the wikipedia page unless you watch Dr. Strangelove and think the good Dr is a misunderstood hero.
The rest of the politics and representation is straight out of the John Birch society. Basically everything after LeMay earned his 2nd star is given very questionable context.
I'd skip this one and go to the wikipedia page unless you watch Dr. Strangelove and think the good Dr is a misunderstood hero.
April 7, 2008
Excellent overview of the man and his efforts... Concise, but accurate from what others who knew the man told me. A great title from the "Great Generals Series"!
November 6, 2016
Three stars simply because I did learn new information about a figure I had only a passing knowledge of. However, this is perhaps the most sycophantic biography I've ever read.
January 12, 2023
On October 4, 2020, I reviewed Iron Eagle: The Turbulent Life of General Curtis LeMay. If you want a truly comprehensive biography of one of the great air commanders in our history, that’s the one to read. This one is for people who want a casual bounce into his life and not much more. But it, too, is excellent, and I enjoyed my experiences with it. You should know that this is a highly sympathetic portrait of Curtis LeMay, and while I was fine with that, you may not be. He is, after all, not a man without controversy.
This is a chronological biography. You get information about his boyhood and youth in Ohio, his entrance into what would become the air force, and you get a look at the work he did as he rose through the ranks.
Both biographies give LeMay much good credit for implementing processes that saved American lives. This biography acknowledges that he engineered disastrous firebombing campaigns in Europe and Japan that killed hundreds of thousands of civilians. He once admitted that while his techniques ended civilian lives, he preferred to focus on the American lives he saved by the techniques he implemented.
The section that revealed the part he played in the design of the B29 super fortress bomber was fascinating.
His service doesn’t end with World War II. He developed the Strategic Air Command, which was a significant component of the cold war.
Read this to get glimpses of a guy who built a color TV on the weekends. He didn’t want to buy one when he could just build the thing in his shop, and that’s what he did. He loved car racing, and yes, he played the organ, too.
This is a highly readable, short biography perfect for people who want to learn more about his life but who don’t want to spend several days doing a Curtis LeMay deep dive. I enjoyed the writing style a great deal.
This is a chronological biography. You get information about his boyhood and youth in Ohio, his entrance into what would become the air force, and you get a look at the work he did as he rose through the ranks.
Both biographies give LeMay much good credit for implementing processes that saved American lives. This biography acknowledges that he engineered disastrous firebombing campaigns in Europe and Japan that killed hundreds of thousands of civilians. He once admitted that while his techniques ended civilian lives, he preferred to focus on the American lives he saved by the techniques he implemented.
The section that revealed the part he played in the design of the B29 super fortress bomber was fascinating.
His service doesn’t end with World War II. He developed the Strategic Air Command, which was a significant component of the cold war.
Read this to get glimpses of a guy who built a color TV on the weekends. He didn’t want to buy one when he could just build the thing in his shop, and that’s what he did. He loved car racing, and yes, he played the organ, too.
This is a highly readable, short biography perfect for people who want to learn more about his life but who don’t want to spend several days doing a Curtis LeMay deep dive. I enjoyed the writing style a great deal.
December 15, 2022
I first heard of Curtis Lemay when he was the vice-presidential running mate of George Wallace in 1968. He seemed to me then to be a pea brained conservative whose solution to everything was to bomb it into submission. They called him Bombs Away Lemay. That was certainly not General Lemay's finest hour. However, as I learned from this book, Curtis Lemay was an excellent leader of men. He was a good manager. He knew his men and material like the back of his hand. He was not afraid to expose himself to danger or criticism, and he was the master planner behind the successful bombing strategies of World War II in both Germany and Japan. It was his planes that firebombed Tokyo and that dropped the atomic bombs. Then he went on to be a key planner of America's nuclear strategy in the cold war. I probably would have hated him personally. I certainly don't feel comfortable with some of the military actions that were executed under his command. But I came away from this book with a grudging respect for him.
June 15, 2021
Because I share basically no ideology with the characture of LeMay I have in my brain, I thought it might be fun to read a biography. While I still find little overlap, I was interested to learn more about him.
As a book I found Tillman's work to be readable and accessible with a good amount of primary source material. I enjoyed that Tillman's project seems to be to portray LeMay as broadly as possible while focusing on specific take-aways about LeMay, most notably lessons for other leaders from LeMay's leadership practices.
While I agree with my earlier assessment that LeMay's legacy is complicated, I'm glad to know that I now have more content with which to back up that assertion.
As a book I found Tillman's work to be readable and accessible with a good amount of primary source material. I enjoyed that Tillman's project seems to be to portray LeMay as broadly as possible while focusing on specific take-aways about LeMay, most notably lessons for other leaders from LeMay's leadership practices.
While I agree with my earlier assessment that LeMay's legacy is complicated, I'm glad to know that I now have more content with which to back up that assertion.
December 2, 2020
For a book in the 200 page range, it still could have stood quite a bit of editing. The author repeats himself much too often!
Nevertheless, LeMay is a superb subject. The author captures the no nonsense, get it done attitude of this consummate professional to whom the nation owes a debt of gratitude.
Nevertheless, LeMay is a superb subject. The author captures the no nonsense, get it done attitude of this consummate professional to whom the nation owes a debt of gratitude.
Read
September 13, 2019The Great General Series, edited by GEN Wesley K. Clark, is an excellent introduction to military history and leadership. It has volumes on Patton, Eisenhower, Grant, Pershing and others. Basically, big-name generals who have lead the American military throughout its history. Highly recommend it!
October 14, 2022
LeMay is a name that came up in a lot of my reading. It's interesting that this book doesn't at all get into the significant evils LeMay is accused of doing. Nothing but praises here. It's basically LeMay propaganda.
February 21, 2022
do you want to know who were real-life Dr. Strangelove's heroes?
February 7, 2023
A great overview of LeMays leadership and accomplishments. Hard nosed but effective.
September 2, 2012
"Whatever other names arise," Barrett Tillman writes in "LeMay: A Biography," General Curtis LeMay and Admiral Chester Nimitz "were the two commanders most responsible for defeating the Japanese Empire." Nimitz rebuilt the Navy after Pearl Harbor and at Midway delivered a blow to the Japanese carrier force from which it could never recover. Similarly, LeMay took the air battle to the Japanese homeland, perfecting the B29 on bombing missions that may well have won the war even without the atomic bomb.
Not that LeMay opposed the bomb. He was certain it would shorten the war and minimize the huge losses an American invasion of the Japanese homeland would entail. Indeed, World War II confirmed LeMay's military doctrine of stipulating the use of maximum, overwhelming force to defeat an enemy. He deplored the gradual escalation of firepower in Korea and Vietnam, and as soon as he heard of plans for the Bay of Pigs invasion, he pronounced the invasion force doomed, especially when air cover was withdrawn, leaving the invaders easy targets for Castro's army.
LeMay was the quintessential Cold Warrior who gave no quarter. He was called a Neanderthal because he favored a first strike against the Soviet Union. But to LeMay it made no sense to absorb the deaths of millions of Americans and then retaliate. LeMay never challenged civilian leaders in public, but when Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara asked LeMay's opinion, McNamara got a direct assessment of the worthlessness of his own notions of flexible response.
As Mr. Tillman explains, LeMay did his public image no good by running for vice president on George Wallace's ticket in 1968. LeMay was never a racist — indeed he had served in an Army air force that had desegregated before Brown vs. Board mandated integration in schools. But LeMay distrusted Richard Nixon, who in the general's view had no viable plan (secret or otherwise) to end the Vietnam war. LeMay also spurned Hubert Humphrey, who was tainted by President Johnson's bollixed war strategy. Wallace at least spoke with a bluntness that LeMay admired, although Mr. Tillman does not explore the relationship between the two men (perhaps because there was not much of one to discuss).
Mr. Tillman finds much to admire in LeMay, a general who led his own bomber missions and was more familiar with flying equipment than his own men. No one perfected the art of putting planes on their targets and bringing crews safely home better than he. LeMay listened to his airmen, openly inviting their criticism and suggestions. His crews were accountable to him, and were summarily dismissed for incompetence or failure. But LeMay also granted promotions on the spot for outstanding work. He was just as good at follow-up, revoking those promotions when men did not perform at the higher level required by their new ranks.
LeMay the man remains something of a mystery. Mr. Tillman rarely mentions LeMay's wife or family. Discussing how the general felt about the firebombing of Tokyo, for example, Mr. Tillman is at a loss. The best he can say is that LeMay "compartmentalized" events and did not dwell on the thousands his bombs annihilated. That LeMay was not unfeeling is apparent in the many visits he paid to his wounded airmen, and in the number of decorations he awarded them.
Although LeMay published books about his career, he never attempted to rehabilitate himself or rationalize his decisions. He despised politics, and only engaged in them when he needed planes and equipment. His record as the organizer of the Strategic Air Command, and his ability to acquire the resources it needed, were unparalleled. As a military man, he embraced and developed new technologies, welcoming, for example, guided missiles as integral to his bomber force.
But LeMay's decision to run with Wallace suggests that for all his contempt for politics he wanted to make yet another contribution to American life. What was it? And why did he choose to ally himself with such an inflammatory figure? These questions Mr. Tillman hardly poses, let alone answers. I wish he had done more interviewing. His notes indicate he spoke and e-mailed with a handful of military men who knew LeMay well. Perhaps LeMay the man is as elusive as he seems in Mr. Tillman's book, but I'd like to see another writer take a crack at a full-blown biography.
Not that LeMay opposed the bomb. He was certain it would shorten the war and minimize the huge losses an American invasion of the Japanese homeland would entail. Indeed, World War II confirmed LeMay's military doctrine of stipulating the use of maximum, overwhelming force to defeat an enemy. He deplored the gradual escalation of firepower in Korea and Vietnam, and as soon as he heard of plans for the Bay of Pigs invasion, he pronounced the invasion force doomed, especially when air cover was withdrawn, leaving the invaders easy targets for Castro's army.
LeMay was the quintessential Cold Warrior who gave no quarter. He was called a Neanderthal because he favored a first strike against the Soviet Union. But to LeMay it made no sense to absorb the deaths of millions of Americans and then retaliate. LeMay never challenged civilian leaders in public, but when Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara asked LeMay's opinion, McNamara got a direct assessment of the worthlessness of his own notions of flexible response.
As Mr. Tillman explains, LeMay did his public image no good by running for vice president on George Wallace's ticket in 1968. LeMay was never a racist — indeed he had served in an Army air force that had desegregated before Brown vs. Board mandated integration in schools. But LeMay distrusted Richard Nixon, who in the general's view had no viable plan (secret or otherwise) to end the Vietnam war. LeMay also spurned Hubert Humphrey, who was tainted by President Johnson's bollixed war strategy. Wallace at least spoke with a bluntness that LeMay admired, although Mr. Tillman does not explore the relationship between the two men (perhaps because there was not much of one to discuss).
Mr. Tillman finds much to admire in LeMay, a general who led his own bomber missions and was more familiar with flying equipment than his own men. No one perfected the art of putting planes on their targets and bringing crews safely home better than he. LeMay listened to his airmen, openly inviting their criticism and suggestions. His crews were accountable to him, and were summarily dismissed for incompetence or failure. But LeMay also granted promotions on the spot for outstanding work. He was just as good at follow-up, revoking those promotions when men did not perform at the higher level required by their new ranks.
LeMay the man remains something of a mystery. Mr. Tillman rarely mentions LeMay's wife or family. Discussing how the general felt about the firebombing of Tokyo, for example, Mr. Tillman is at a loss. The best he can say is that LeMay "compartmentalized" events and did not dwell on the thousands his bombs annihilated. That LeMay was not unfeeling is apparent in the many visits he paid to his wounded airmen, and in the number of decorations he awarded them.
Although LeMay published books about his career, he never attempted to rehabilitate himself or rationalize his decisions. He despised politics, and only engaged in them when he needed planes and equipment. His record as the organizer of the Strategic Air Command, and his ability to acquire the resources it needed, were unparalleled. As a military man, he embraced and developed new technologies, welcoming, for example, guided missiles as integral to his bomber force.
But LeMay's decision to run with Wallace suggests that for all his contempt for politics he wanted to make yet another contribution to American life. What was it? And why did he choose to ally himself with such an inflammatory figure? These questions Mr. Tillman hardly poses, let alone answers. I wish he had done more interviewing. His notes indicate he spoke and e-mailed with a handful of military men who knew LeMay well. Perhaps LeMay the man is as elusive as he seems in Mr. Tillman's book, but I'd like to see another writer take a crack at a full-blown biography.
August 25, 2012
Outstanding and quick read on Curtis LeMay. General LeMay is my kind of leader--technically competant and confident, as he always led from the front as a 2d Lt and General Officer. He was an Army Air Corps Soldier first, later Airman, that clearly understood the short link between tactics and grand national strategy as he accelerated himself into a vital advocate (and public relations success story) for American Airpower.
LeMay was a self starter that seldom missed the marked: "Make sure you're right, and go forward!" While many of the lessons of this book involved daylight, strategic, precision bombing in the Strategic Airlift Command (SAC) era--the same enduring truths are alive today with the tactics I've experienced in the airlift community.
LeMay also realized early on the importance of training and equipping the troops for future engagements. Many of our senior leaders today CHOOSE not to overcome the fiscal and time restraints associated with this kind of leadership. LeMay lived the tactics, understood the challenges, took risks, and ultimately, his achievements paved the way for Airpower becoming what it is today.
Recommend this book to Soldiers and Airmen alike.
LeMay was a self starter that seldom missed the marked: "Make sure you're right, and go forward!" While many of the lessons of this book involved daylight, strategic, precision bombing in the Strategic Airlift Command (SAC) era--the same enduring truths are alive today with the tactics I've experienced in the airlift community.
LeMay also realized early on the importance of training and equipping the troops for future engagements. Many of our senior leaders today CHOOSE not to overcome the fiscal and time restraints associated with this kind of leadership. LeMay lived the tactics, understood the challenges, took risks, and ultimately, his achievements paved the way for Airpower becoming what it is today.
Recommend this book to Soldiers and Airmen alike.
August 15, 2015
(Audiobook). This work was a somewhat brief overview of the life of one of the most influential American generals in the 20th century. A legendary bomber pilot who rose to power to become one of the true giants of the USAF, LeMay made an indelible mark on American airpower and the Cold War. His technical passion and dedication to improvement and strong standards went a long way to shaping SAC and the Cold War Air Force. The work gives him a great deal of praise for his actions, but it does not revere him. His controversial political views and errors in judgment (particularly in not acknowledging the role that conventional weapons still had to play in the Cold War) would haunt him and turn him into the butt of many jokes (most notably the parody in Dr. Strangelove). Still, while not the most comprehensive bio on the man, it is a good volume for the casual reader and will give an understanding of what LeMay meant to the Air Force. The reader was solid and kept the book moving.
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July 21, 2016Curtis Lemay's career as an airman spanned several decades and many roles. his book looks at highlights of his life, as commander of a bomber wing in China, as the leader on the ground for the incendiary raids against Japan, and as the commander of Strategic Air Command. In every instance he brought a unit that was barely functioning and made it into a potent weapon of war. His story is an important one for anyone who really wants to understand the Cold War and what was at stake.
The book does have one small issue. On page 22, in the chapter which discusses his assignment to 8th Air Force in England, there is a map of Europe which oddly enough shows the geopolitical situation between German Reunification in 1990 and Slovenia's independence in 1991. WHY this map would be picked to illustrate this book I have no idea. The map on page 54 seems to accurately portray WWII Asia during the period Lemay was there.
A good book, although nothing more than an introduction.
The book does have one small issue. On page 22, in the chapter which discusses his assignment to 8th Air Force in England, there is a map of Europe which oddly enough shows the geopolitical situation between German Reunification in 1990 and Slovenia's independence in 1991. WHY this map would be picked to illustrate this book I have no idea. The map on page 54 seems to accurately portray WWII Asia during the period Lemay was there.
A good book, although nothing more than an introduction.
February 23, 2016
Less of a biography, and more of a use of LeMay to build an argument for a set of enduring leadership principles, the author effectively accounts (and perhaps unintentionally, embellishes) LeMay's role in US national security from WWII to modern conflict. While Tillman overlooks many of LeMay's critical weaknesses such as the blanket application of force, the application of the "Asian" metaphor on Vietnam, his poor advice in the Cuban crisis, and his dismissal of Schriever's ICBM delivery system, Tillman does bring the reader through a reasonable defense of LeMay as a role model Airman. There is much good in this book for the modern warfare professional; however, this book should not be read in isolation when studying LeMay. He was far more complex a human being than Tillman would have us believe!
October 28, 2011
Short, informative but incomplete "biography" of Curtis Lemay, more of an introduction really. Hits the high points but lacking in regard to the General's personal story. While the author brings up generally accepted or maybe "widely retold" anecdotes that illustrate Lemay's personality, we never quite find out how he came to be - in the General's own words.
Worth a read if only to inspire you to find out more about the man and his career.
Worth a read if only to inspire you to find out more about the man and his career.
July 17, 2021
Interesting biography. I was aware of LeMay's military career and just accepted he was underrepresented as he was not as interesting to the general public as Patton and the others. I had completely forgot he was George Wallace's running mate. While Wallace can be remembered as a political pariah it obviously could be problematic to denigrate a leading figure in the Allied victory so it seems he has simply been ignored over time as a result.
February 1, 2010
Pretty good - if you want just a cursory overview of his life. Some of the most interesting things about him were largely ignored or simply mentioned in passing.
May 25, 2022
Great book about a time in history and also about a very great man. That keep us save druing the cold war.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews