Clash of Wings: World War II in the Air

by Walter J. Boyne

From the author of Clash of Titans comes a captivating exploration of the role of air power in World War II.

In his captivating narrative, Boyne resurrects the war of the skies in all its heroic and tragic drama, while supplying insightful, expert conclusions about previously overlooked aspects of the war, including the essential role of American bombers in Europe; Germany's miscalculation of the number of planes required for victory; the Allies' slow start in deploying maximum air power—and why they eventually triumphed.

Genres: History, Aviation, World War II, Military History, Military Fiction, War

416 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1994

Reviews

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are all familiar with the use of airplanes in WWI......the "dogfights", the Red Baron surveillance, et al. But air power was in its infancy and didn't have much effect since the Navy and Infantry were the backbone of the fighting forces. The author touches on this period and how the military came to realize that the airplane could be used in conjunction with the existing manpower and eventually become a force of its own.

The book outlines several aspects of the use of air power in WWII by taking the reader through both theaters of war and the major battles that turned the tide against Japan and the Nazis. He also goes into some detail about the types of airplanes used, their strengths and weaknesses. I was surprised to learn that the Piper Cub and other small planes usually used for recreation , performed vital services without ever getting headlines. They were called "grasshoppers" and were used for thousands of tasks.

The author also gives space to the heroic aviators who flew under daunting conditions and whose mortality rates were frightening. But the question also arose as to the "morality" of area/carpet bombing which killed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians (the fire storm of Dresden was particularly horrific) and continued to be argued until the end of the war. The author's conclusions are logical but it will always remain a question that can't be answered.

This is an informative book which provides some intriguing and little known facts about the air war It is a strong 4+ star read.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although European powers employed aircraft during war early in the 20th century, and they saw widespread use during the Great War as tools supplementing armies, not until the Second World War did military aviation truly come into its own. Who can think of those years and miss the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, or the furious carrier battles in the Pacific like that of Midway? During World War II, aircraft were manufactured at a rate never before seen and the respective powers turned them into weapons in their own right, leveling cities with bombers and making command of the air as crucial as command of the ground. In Clash of Wings, aviator and military historian Walter J. Boyne explores every aspect of the war in which aircraft were involved, from the large battles in which they dominated to the smaller affairs where they only assisted. He examines not just the planes, tactics, and strategy of various European powers, but the organizational strengths of the contending air forces. The result is a thorough guide to World War II's skies, a gold mine for students of the period.

Boyne leaps into the action straightaway, focusing immediately on the outbreak of war in Europe, though he does explain how history influenced every nation to develop the air strategy it did. Necessity also shaped strategy: while Britain's air policy may have been influenced by the memory of Germany's bombing raids in the first world war, it focused on long-distance bombers because bombers were its primary means of fighting Germany until the Axis began stumbling around in northern Africa. Japan's small but elite air arm evolved to destroy inferior opponents, like the Russians and Chinese, but proved to be insufficient for long-term war with a fully industrialized power like that of the United States. This is an incredibly busy history, as airplanes were ubiquitious during the conflict and were the main contendors in some campaigns: it is hard to imagine any conflict out-doing WWII in putting airplanes to tactical and strategic use, winning both battles and destroying Hitler's means of fighting. Boyne even devotes chapters to airplanes' use in fighting submarines, or supplying Chinese nationalists in their fight against the Japanese. As an aviator himself, he's always kind to the airmen of every country, saving his harshest criticism for those high in the organizational ranks who failed to provide just or competent leadership. He also evaluates the machines themselves from a technical point of view, where his own piloting experience proves useful.

I have been reading books about military aviation for over a decade now, and the quality of this book astonishes me. The wealth of information should make it staggeringly valuable to someone writing a paper on the subject, for Boyne's history not only covers every conceivable aspect of the air war but also includes production and loss numbers throughout, in addition to several appendices. The book's organization keeps all this information nicely contained and quickly accessible, and Boyne's passion for the subject makes his tale an engaging one to read. I must read more Boyne, and strongly recommend this work.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provides a wonderful grasp of the entire air war during WW II. Although written in the early 90's, the book reads as up-to-date as anything of more recent scholarship. Mr. Boyne is an acknowledged aviation expert who has read and written extensively. If you want to know about aviation in 30's and 40's this is the book. Highly recommended.

[Beth/Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by the Host of the TV program of the same name. Covers all the major air campaigns with added insights. Well written and again brings out the arrogance displayed by both the Allies and Axis leadership when it came to assessing the other side's capabilities before and during the war.

[Curtiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A study of the aircraft and aerial campaigns of World War II; similar to Boyne's Clash of Titans, study of WWII's naval campaigns.

[J. Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive, well-researched, and well-thought-out history of air power in World War II. Highly recommended to the appropriate audience!