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Meilinger, Phillip S., ed. The Paths of Heaven: The Evolution of Airpower Theory. Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.: School of Advanced Airpower Studies, 1997. 650pp. (no price given)
From dirigibles to stealth bombers, the theory and practice of airpower are distilled in this anthology's fif teen thought-provoking essays by thirteen practitioners and students of military aviation. The Paths of Heaven traces the development of airpower doctrine and strategy from before World War I through DESERT STORM and beyond. Of necessity, many of the subjects are familiar to aviation history buffs, but the depth of scholarship evident in each essay will not only educate but entertain most readers.
The editor and author of three articles is Colonel Phillip Meilinger, Ph.D., a former C-130 pilot and previously the dean of the School of Advanced Airpower Studies. His operational background and academic credentials are matched by those of several other contributors. As a result, the book reflects handson knowledge of airpower, in addition to historical and doctrinal perspectives.
The book's organization is largely chronological. Meilinger looks at Giulio Douhet, Hugh...