Flame on: U.S. Incendiary Weapons, 1918-1945 (Stackpole Military History)

A concise history of the development and use of incendiary weapons--flamethrowers, incendiary bombs, napalm, and more--by the American military in the twentieth century, with a focus on World War II.

Describes how the U.S. created its incendiary weapons program virtually from scratch during World War II

Pivotal episodes include Omaha Beach on D-Day and the skilled performance of an armored flamethrower battalion in the Pacific

Also covers the history of incendiaries from ancient times to World War II and through Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm

Brig. Gen. John Mountcastle, USA (Ret.), was the U.S. Army's chief of military history from 1994 to 1998. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and Duke University and a veteran of Vietnam, he also taught at West Point. He lives near Richmond, Virginia.