Whirlwind, Barrett Tillman
Whirlwind, Barrett Tillman
4 Rating(s)
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
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Whirlwind
The Air War Against Japan 1942-1945

Author: Barrett Tillman

Narrator: Mel Foster

Unabridged: 11 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/02/2010


Synopsis

Whirlwind is the only book to examine in depth the human drama behind the most important bombing campaign in history. While the air war against Nazi Germany has been covered in-depth by many books, Barrett Tillman, a renowned authority on military aircraft and the air war in the Pacific, is the first to tackle the air war against Japan.

For decades, historians and politicians have debated whether or not Japan was on the verge of surrender in August 1945—before the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Tillman argues that for all the widespread death and suffering, the bombing of Japan remains a great example of air power's ability to end a long, bitter, and bloody war without invasion. Writing from the perspective of the aircrews and the generals and admirals who commanded them, Tillman examines all aspects of the human drama of the war, combining historical analyses with the words of survivors from both sides of the bomb.

About Barrett Tillman

Barrett Tillman is the author of forty books, including the bestseller Warriors and Clash of the Carriers. He has received five writing awards, including the American Aviation Historical Society's Outstanding Contributor Award, the Air Force Historical Foundation Writing Award, and the Admiral Arthur Radford Award for Naval Aviation History and Literature.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Alan on May 14, 2023

This well written history of America's air war against Imperial Japan in World War II effectively covers all aspects involved. Battles are vividly described. Logistics, training, engineering, strategy, and tactics are all thoroughly elucidated. And the author excels at conveying the perspectives and......more

Goodreads review by Nooilforpacifists on April 28, 2015

Somewhat mislabeled--this largely is a history of the B-29, with Naval Aviation and the Bomb tacked on. The style is a bit wooden. And it's a useful defense of area bombing and reference of reasons why the Bomb had to be dropped. But, it provides useful stats, and a few, though just a few, previousl......more

Goodreads review by Ozymandias on February 19, 2020

This book provides an account of the air war against Japan. The real story is of the rise of the Army air force under Curtis LeMay and its annihilation of Japan’s cities and ability to resist. When the book starts the Japanese air force and ground defense pose a significant (if manageable) risk. By......more

Goodreads review by Michael on June 24, 2013

Whirlwind delivers a thorough examination on the American bombing campaign on Japan during WWII. From the initial Doolittle raid to the dropping of the bomb that changed warfare forever, this book is an engaging read. When I finished reading this book I felt like I had a great understanding of the p......more

Goodreads review by F.C. on February 15, 2010

[Previously published on Blogcritics.org:] Did you know anyone who was in the WTC attack on 9/11/2001? Over 17,000 people from more than fifteen countries were in the two towers at the time of the attack. Two thousand six hundred five people died in New York alone. For me, it was two degrees of separ......more