Air Warfare:

by William C. Sherman, Col Wray R. Johnson (Introduction), C. Def. Chandler (Introduction)

Rudyard Kipling has been quoted as saying of aerial “We are at the opening verse of the opening page of the chapter of endless possibilities.” No longer is there doubt as to the practicability of flying. That was demonstrated by the United States Air Mail; the commercial airlines in Europe and South America; the crossings of the Atlantic Ocean by airplanes, seaplanes and airships; and finally the circumnavigation of the earth by airplane. While the consequences to flow from man’s new power cannot yet be estimated, of this we may be As the development within a few generations of railway, steamship, and automobile has altered every relation of the world’s life, so the possession at last of aircraft, enabling us to utilize the free and universal highway provided by nature, must lead to effects upon human activity no less wide and profound. The need is widely felt already for a progressive literature of aerial navigation. We need technical information for designers, engineers, and pilots and for the growing army of students. We need also discussions of the practical implications of air navigation, for statesmen, economists, and representatives of industrial and commercial organizations whose interests and operations are affected by the new mode of transit. The Ronald Aeronautic Library, a series of volumes by specialists able to speak with authority, supplies this information. It is the purpose of the editor to keep the Library continually abreast of every phase of aerial development. The division into separate volumes is governed by the needs of each branch of aeronautics. At the same time this permits of frequent revisions to keep pace with the progress of an expanding art. The arrangement of the text facilitates reference almost to the extent found in the standard engineering handbooks. Information is not limited to American experience; foreign sources are drawn upon freely.

Genres: Military Fiction

282 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherman should be the airman known by people and not the self-absorbed Billy Mitchell. Sherman was more detailed in his ideas regarding air doctrine than Mitchell ever thought of being. Unfortunately, Sherman died as a result of illness a year after his book was published.