Publisher's Synopsis
The purpose of this book is to trace the evolution of airpower theory from the earliest days of powered flight to the present, concluding with a chapter that speculates on the future of military space applications. Although the men and women of the Air Force have recorded some outstanding accomplishments over the past 50 years, on the whole, our service has remained more concerned with operations than theory. This focus has produced many notable achievements, but it is equally important for airmen to understand the theory of airpower. Historian I. B. Holley has convincingly demonstrated the link between ideas and weapons, and in the conclusion to this book, he cautions that "a service that does not develop rigorous thinkers among its leaders and decision makers is inviting friction, folly, and failure." In that light, The Paths of Heaven is a valuable means of increasing our expertise in the employment of airpower. It offers an outstanding overview of airpower theories since the dawn of flight and will no doubt serve as the basic text on this vital subject for some time to come. The contributors, all from the School of Advanced Airpower Studies (SAAS) at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, are the most qualified experts in the world to tackle this subject. As the home of the only graduate-level program devoted to airpower and as the successor to the Air Corps Tactical School, SAAS boasts students and faculty who are helping build the airpower theories of the future. In explaining how we can employ air and space forces to fulfill national objectives, this book enriches the Air Force and the nation. Airpower may not always provide the only solution to a problem, but the advantages of speed, range, flexibility, and vantage point offered through the air and space environment make airpower a powerful instrument for meeting the needs of the nation. Understanding these advantages begins by knowing the ideas behind the technology. Chapter 1 - Giulio Douhet and the Origins of Airpower Theory * Chapter 2 - Trenchard, Slessor, and Royal Air Force Doctrine before World War II * Chapter 3 - Molding Airpower Convictions: Development and Legacy of William Mitchell's Strategic Thought * Chapter 4 - The Influence of Aviation on the Evolution of American Naval Thought * Chapter 5 - Airpower Thought in Continental Europe between the Wars * Chapter 6 - Interwar US Army Aviation and the Air Corps Tactical School: Incubators of American Airpower * Chapter 7 - Alexander P. de Seversky and American Airpower * Chapter 8 - Strategic Airpower and Nuclear Strategy: New Theory for a Not-Quite-So-New Apocalypse * Chapter 9 - Air Theory, Air Force, and Low Intensity Conflict: A Short Journey to Confusion * Chapter 10 - John Boyd and John Warden: Airpower's Quest for Strategic Paralysis * Chapter 11 - An Ambivalent Partnership: US Army and Air Force Perspectives on Air-Ground Operations, 1973-90 * Chapter 12 - The Evolution of NATO Air Doctrine * Chapter 13 - Soviet Military Doctrine and Air Theory: Change through the Light of a Storm * Chapter 14 - Ascendant Realms: Characteristics of Airpower and Space Power * Chapter 15 - Reflections on the Search for Airpower Theory
