The history of the war from the past one hundred years is a history of bombing“Tripoli; 1 November 1911: I decided that today I would try to drop bombs from the aeroplane … if I succeed I shall be happy to have been the first.â€â€”Italian Lieutenant Giulio GavottiAt its inception; aerial bombardment was a weapon of empire deployed to subdue colonial populations. Soon; during the Second World War; civilians in Europe and Japan came into the bomber’s crosshairs; and ever since non-combatant targets have been at the heart of military strategy. It was a seismic shift in the relations of power: as the state justified the mass murder of civilians; individual combatants; flying high above their victims; were distanced from the act of killing as never before.The ascendance of drones as an instrument of military power is the latest stage in this cruel evolution; which has led to a perpetual low-intensity war on the global scene. As the technology enabling it spreads through the world; the borders of the conflict will grow in proportion.In this short and fascinating history of aerial warfare; Thomas Hippler brings together all the major themes of the past century: nationalism; democracy; totalitarianism; colonialism; globalization; the welfare state and its decline; and the rise of neoliberalism. Air power is the defining characteristic of modern warfare; as Hippler demonstrates; it is also ingrained in the nature of modern politics.
#817515 in Books Osprey Publishing 2016-10-18 2016-10-18Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.82 x .29 x 6.94l; .65 #File Name: 1782007989112 pages9781782007982
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great addition to the seriesBy Alte AdlerJohn Weal; superb author and illustrator that he is; just somehow get better and better with every new book and this one is certainly no exception. Much new information; and almost all of the photos have not been previously published. The profiles are very good; I would like to have seen wear and weathering on these; but photos do provide that much better and it would be difficult to show those details on the small profiles. It will make a great addition to the one of two other books we have on the Eismeer Aces. I'm glad I pre-ordered the book; seeing John Weal on a book is all I need to see order it.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Battle above the arctic circleBy TravellingpaisaAn interesting book on an unusual unit. This book describes the battles with the VVS and the flak units defending the Arctic convoys in the far north. This area of operations for JG 5 Eismeer is well covered. However; I was looking forward to information relating to the battles against the RAF; especially the Beaufighters; the Mosquitos; the Lancasters and Mustangs which took place on a regular basis; albeit a little further to the south in Norway. As well as the rarely discussed battles with US carrier aircraft and the tragic sinking of the Tirpitz. Hopefully this will be covered in a book dedicated to JG5; which; in addition to the aforementioned; must included the Normandy campaign and the Defence of the Reich! Fingers crossed. However the authors did a very good job of covering their subject.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Luftwaffe Aces of the Far North!By Mike O'ConnorJagdgeschwader 5 was a unique Luftwaffe fighter wing that engaged in an equally unique air war on the Murmansk Front. Cobbled together from various units; it waged a singular air campaign against Russian forces in the Arctic Circle area. While not as well-known as other GAF fighter wings; it nevertheless produced a number of aces; who flew the Bf 109 or Bf 110. John Weal; Osprey's Luftwaffe expert; details JG 5's varied combat career in ARCTIC BF 109 AND BF110 ACES; a 2016 AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES volume; #124 in the series.Drawn from JG 77 and other units; JG 5 was created 1 January 1942 and saw combat until November 1944. During that time; the wing's pilots engaged not only Russian-manufactured aircraft but also Lend-Lease aircraft supplied by the British and Americans. Consequently; the wing's victory log included Yaks; Pe-2s; IL-2s and LaGGs along with P-40s; Hampdens and P-39s. Top aces included Theodor Weissenberger; Franz Dorr and Rudi Muller.Weal's comprehensive text is complemented by Chris Davey's color profiles. It's interesting that Weal didn't include his own artwork. All of his Osprey books have featured it. Back in the 1960s; Weal was THE standard for color profiles. I can still remember looking forward to the latest RAF FLYING REVIEW to see what Weal artwork was featured. Oh well; times change.I gave the book a 4 - would have preferred a 4 1/2 - simply because nowhere does Weal mention JG 5's final victory total. Since a fighter wing exists solely to down enemy aircraft; I thought that figure should have been included.In any case; Luftwaffe enthusiasts should enjoy ARCTIC BF 109 AND BF 110 ACES. It shines a well-deserved spotlight on some notable if little-known fighter pilots. Recommended.****10;100 Helpful Votes!
