Courage and Air Warfare: The Allied Aircrew Experience in the Second World War (Studies in Air Power) - Hardcover

Wells, Mark K.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0714646180 ISBN 13: 9780714646183

Publisher: Routledge, 1995

Synopsis

Colonel Wells investigates the nature of aerial warfare and the men who took part. The book analyzes aircrew selection, reaction to combat, adaptability to stress, morale, leadership and combat effectiveness, and compares the efforts of the US Eighth Air Force and RAF Bomber Command.

About this title

About the Author

Authored by Wells, Mark K.

From the Back Cover

Despite the quantity of material written about the Combined Bomber Offensive during the Second World War, the full human dimension of air combat has not been thoroughly explored. This book investigates the unique nature of aerial warfare and the men who took part. It analyses aircrew selection, reaction to combat, adaptability to stress, morale, leadership and combat effectiveness. First-hand reflections of combat flyers, published materials, reports and official documents are used to compare the efforts of the US Eighth Air Force and RAF Bomber Command. There is an important reason for this comparative method. Although the Allied effort involved two separate air forces, two different philosophical concepts and two distinct approaches, both organizations were committed to a common goal. Comparing the two allows insights into the nature of air combat and its effects on aviators. Aircrew attitudes and motivation are examined, as are the physical and mental hardships which affected aircrew morale, cohesion and combat effectiveness.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0714646180
• ISBN 13: 9780714646183
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272