The Air War: 1939-45

by Richard Overy

Originally published in 1980 and still the best one-volume aerial history of World War II, Richard Overy’s classic work remains profound and highly origi-nal. Far from just an account of the various air battles, Professor Overy treats the air war as a complex and fascinating historical web, woven out of grand strategy, economic mobilization, the recruitment of science, and the nature of leadership and training. Analyzing the achievements and failures of the aerial component of the war, he places it in perspective by explaining the role aviation played in the overall conflict. He points out that while the Axis powers tended to limit their use of air power to one major role, such as support of ground forces, the Allies exploited all aspects of aerial air defense, strategic bombardment, air-naval cooperation, and ground support. He also demonstrates how aircraft ensured that the Second World War became a people’s war and how success in the air war was, in a very real sense, a test of a nation’s modernity. The air war was won and lost not only in the skies but also in the factories and the research institutes. Finally, the author dispels many popular myths and in particular reveals that although air power in the form of strategic bombing by itself did not deter-mine the war’s final outcome, its use dramatically illustrated the complexities of managing modern war. Richard Overy’s The Air War thus deepens our under-standing not only of World War II but of military history in general.

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

290 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Richard James Overy is a British historian who has published extensively on the history of World War II and the Third Reich.

Educated at Caius College, Cambridge and awarded a research fellowship at Churchill College, Professor Overy taught history at Cambridge from 1972 to 1979, as a fellow of Queens' College and from 1976 as a university assistant lecturer. In 1980 he moved to King's College London, where he became professor of modern history in 1994. He was appointed to a professorship at the University of Exeter in 2004.

His work on World War II has been praised as "highly effective in the ruthless dispelling of myths" (A. J. P. Taylor), "original and important" (New York Review of Books) and "at the cutting edge" (Times Literary Supplement.)[

Reviews

[Chainsaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very thorough review of numerous facets of the general air war during World War II, including the interaction of the military-industrial-scientific-political communities, strategies, technology, prioritization compared against other military services & economic considerations, doctrine, and a host of other topics. Not a "light" read, but well-documented and even-handed in its approach...excellent information, overall.

[Ned Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Richard Overy, a Professor at Oxford or Cambridge, who has written a number of excellent histories of World War II, all from the perspective that the various enemies' economies and wartime productivity had a great deal to do with the outcome. This is, I think, his first book in that vein; it is certainly the first such book that addresses the Air War based on those factors. This is not a combat-action book; it is an exceptional analysis of the war in terms of productivity, economy, and resources. In this, it is a prelude to his remarkable book, Why the Allies Won, which I cannot recommend highly enough.

If you want to understand why the Allies really won the air war, read this book. If you want to understand why the Allies really won the war (despite the clear superiority of the German Wehrmacht in terms of casualties-inflicted vs. casualties received), read his Why the Allies Won. Both are excellent, readable, insightful and well-presented.

[Mathieu Gaudreault · Rating 5 out of 5]

A interesting book that described the various aspects of the air war. The four first chapters are a chronology of the air war, one chapter about the years leading to the war, two chapters about european war and the last about the pacific war.

There chapters about strategic bombic and its impacts&cost. There a chapter on that described the leadership and organizations of the differents airforces. Chapter seven and eight are about economics and scientict&research aspects of the air war.

This book could also had been titled how the allies won the air war. A must have book for every person interested in world war two , specialy in the air war.

[Rafael Alfredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very clear and concise analysis of many different aspects of the air campaigns waged by all the major powers of WWII. it was well-organized and delivered without any useless flowery language. The main lesson drawn from this book for me was simply that Goering was an idiot.

[Dobiasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Świetne totalne opracowanie tematu wojny bombowej w ramach WW2 — od przedwojennych apokaliptycznych teorii przyszłej wojny przez taktyczne użycie lotnictwa, stopniowe przekraczanie kolejnych etycznych i technicznych granic aż po bezpardonowe ataki na ludność cywilną. Overy zestawia cele operacyjne oraz przyczyny takiego a nie innego ich wyboru z rzeczywistymi rezultatami bombardowań. Wnioski bywają bardzo gorzkie, zwłaszcza dla lotnictwa amerykańskiego i brytyjskiego.

Łyżką dziegciu w tej beczce miodu jest tłumaczenie i redakcja, a właściwie jej brak (nie chce mi się szukać nazwisk osób odpowiedzialnych). Tłumacz popełnia wszelkie możliwe błędy językowe — dziwaczny szyk zdań, powtórzenia, błędy interpunkcyjne, składniowe a nawet ortograficzne niewyłapane przez autokorektę. Czasami używa słów niespecjalnie znając ich znaczenie, jak często w takim razie przeinacza oryginalny tekst, strach nawet myśleć. Redaktora raczej przy tym nie było (jeśli był, tym gorzej dla niego), a gdyby był to prawdopodobnie większość tego tekstu musiałby praktycznie przepisać od nowa. Nie takiej jakości oczekuję od opasłego, merytorycznie świetnego tomiszcza wydanego w twardych okładkach.

Książka bardzo wartościowa dla zainteresowanych militariami, ale raczej do czytania w oryginale.

[Alan Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding Must Read

If you are interested in WWII at more than a superficial level this book is a must read. Unlike other books on WWII, this book stresses the fundamentals of decision making processes and how decisions made early on had such huge impacts that they decided the war at many foundational levels. Prof Overy also lets the reader know how built up institutional and organizational norms, which were different in each of the warring powers, decided how research and development was conducted in each nation. This built in methodology directed research and that determined what weapons were built and how quickly they reached the battlefield.

The author educates the reader in how decisions were made and why in both the Axis and the Allied powers. To understand WWII a person must know these things if they are to correctly understand the greatest war in human history… at least up until now.

The author avoids accounts of the air battles as things in and of themselves. The examination is statistical and organizational rather than who shot down who. Because of the approach of this book, it is timeless. It will never age because it analyses the foundations of air power and its impact on the war. Both Europe and the Pacific are covered.

I highly recommend this book. AD2

[Nate Huston · Rating 3 out of 5]

History can be instructive, but all participants operate in different paradigms of environment and objectives. Strategy is dependent on many factors.