John Warden and the Renaissance of American Air Power [Hardcover]

John Andreas Olsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2007

****Included on the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force's reading list for 2008 and the Royal Air Force's Centre for Air Power Studies 2008 Reading List****

Dr. John Andreas Olsen has written an insightful, compelling biography of retired U.S. Air Force colonel John A. Warden III, the brilliant but controversial air warfare theorist and architect of Operation Desert Storm’s air campaign. Warden’s radical ideas about air power’s purposes and applications, promulgated at the expense of his own career, sparked the ongoing revolution in military affairs. Legendary in defense circles, Warden is also the author of The Air Campaign: Planning for Combat (republished by Brassey’s, Inc. in 1989). Presenting both the positives and negatives of Warden’s personality and impact in this objective portrait, Olsen offers a trenchant analysis of his revolutionary ideas and great accomplishments.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Masterful. . . John Andreas Olsen has done an important service in bringing the story of this great airman to light." -- Phillip S. Meilinger

From the Publisher

"John Andreas Olsen's John Warden and the Renaissance of American Air Power is destined to become a classic must-read reference. Warden, the most influential and controversial figure in American air power thought since Billy Mitchell himself, is examined with meticulous care and in extraordinary detail. Based on exhaustive research, including interviews with a galaxy of American and foreign air power thinkers and commanders, this book is certain to trigger wide-ranging debate and discussion about the legacy of this extraordinary officer's work." -- Dr. Richard P. Hallion, former historian of the U.S. Air Force, 1991-2002

"This is one of those rare books that resolves arguments once and for all! Few people have done more for the United States than John Warden, and fewer still have been more controversial. Author John Olsen presents the true story of Warden's achievements and perceived shortfalls in an authoritative and even-handed manner. Only an author of Olsen's stature could reach to the very heart of Warden's ideas and explain them so cogently. Highly recommended!" -- Walter Boyne, former director, National Air and Space Museum

"At last, a first rate biography of the most creative airman of our times. John Warden is not just a creative airman, he is one of America's premier strategic thinkers. Whenever I choose to do anything creative, I always call John Warden. Warden is the real deal--a great strategic planner. If you thought John Boyd was creative--John Warden topped him in many ways." -- Maj. Gen. Perry Smith, USAF (ret.), author of Rules and Tools for Leaders and Assignment Pentagon: How to Excel in a Bureaucracy, Fourth Edition

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 374 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc. (June 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597970840
• ISBN-13: 978-1597970846
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #830,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > History > Middle East > Kuwait

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Applying the theories, July 29, 2008

By 

A. B. Powers - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: John Warden and the Renaissance of American Air Power (Hardcover)

John Andreas Olsen's "John Warden and the Renaissance of American Air Power" is an excellent and thorough analysis of the importance of operational art and strategic thinking in the application of air power, told through the career of Air Force Colonel John Warden. The book combines elements of biography, campaign history, and strategic theory to present the story of the United States Air Force's attempts to move from a tactical, systems approach to warfare to one focused on applying air power to achieve decisive strategic effects. Olsen succeeds in demonstrating Warden's impact on the service's culture and war fighting focus.

Olsen is at his best when discussing Warden's contributions to air power theory, as well as his ideas on professional military education, air force doctrine, and the development of the Instant Thunder air campaign plan in support of Operation Desert Storm. His writing is less focused on Warden's early career and operational assignments, details of which are mostly provided for context. Readers looking for accounts of dodging surface to air missiles over North Vietnam, or detailed discussion of weapons systems will be disappointed. Those interested in the application of theory and doctrine to real-world contingency operations have a great deal to learn from Olsen's efforts. He brings an educated air officer's perspective to his analysis, and provides an objective discussion of the role of air power at the operational and strategic levels of war

"John Warden and the Renaissance of American Air Power" is very well researched, with excellent footnotes and a great selected bibliography. Serious students will enjoy reading these sections of the book to see where they can learn more about the subject. I highly recommend this book to military officers of all services, students studying national security topics, and anyone interested in defense issues.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A job well done., March 25, 2008

By 

Seneca (Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Warden and the Renaissance of American Air Power (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book indeed. Not only does it have a lot to say about the way airpower is and should be used in modern war, but it also explains how the U.S military, and presumably not only the U.S military, REALLY work. All this is done on the basis of extremely thorough research that is a model of its kind.
A very good book--highly recommended for anybody interested in airpower. Go and get it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A view of a man and his influence, July 30, 2010

By 

Trav Hallen (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Warden and the Renaissance of American Air Power (Kindle Edition)

This book is more than simply the biography of the most controversial figure in modern air power, it is also an examination of how air power theory evolved in the USAF in the 1980s, culminating in the stunning success of the Desert Storm Air Campaign.

The biographical aspect of the book is well-researched and fair. The picture it paints of an abashed maverick provides key insights into the man, and an excellent foundation for understanding how his views of air power developed. By incorporating the full spectrum of views of Warden, Olsen makes it easy to appreciate why Warden was, and still is, such a divisive figure not only in the US, but world over. To be sure, this is an intellectual and operational biography, the impact of his family and private life are barely glanced at. This ensures that the story being told of the evolution of air power in the USAF is not sidetracked. This is not a weakness at all; however, it would be interesting to know how the people behind this giant of modern air power shaped his approach to presenting his ideas.

The other aspect of the book is the examination of the changes in US air power in which Warden played a pivotal role. For an enthusiast brought up in the post-Gulf War world, Warden's ideas, though controversial at the time, are now the conventional wisdom. To read the battle that was waged to get these ideas into the mainstream is both eye-opening and disturbing. The lengthy examination of the development and implementation of INSTANT THUNDER, the Gulf War air campaign, make this book a must read for all military history enthusiasts.

In summary, this is an excellent book that is a must read for all interested in or involved with the application of air power. I would also recommend it to those with interested in the intellectual history of the US military.