21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well written WW II chronicle of Gen George C. Kenney, February 8, 1999
This review is from: MacArthur's Airman : General George C. Kenney and the War in the Southwest Pacific (Modern War Studies) (Hardcover)
For a man of whom Gen MacArthur stated "I believe that no, repeat, no officer suggested for promotion to General has rendered more outstanding and brilliant service than Kenney... Nothing that Spaatz or any other air officer has accomplished in the war compares to what Kenney has contributed and none in my opinion is his equal in ability", surprisingly little has been written about this innovative and charismatic air power proponent. Griffith changes that with this well written, fast-paced biography. While not a comprehensive biography, Griffith focuses on Kenney's leadership in the Southwest Pacific Area during World War II. Taking command of a weary, demoralized group of flyers in which MacArthur had lost confidence, and turning them into an offensive-minded, hard-charging unit was perhaps Kenney's greatest victory. Griffith clearly explores Kenney's philosophy of how to train and treat his men as well as the five point of his air power formula. Over and over again Griffith points out how Kenney stuck to his formula with resultant success against the Japanese war machine. While lacking the depth and completeness of an exhaustive biography, Griffith's book is nonetheless the best and most balanced account of General George Kenney's life to date; especially regarding his role as air component commander in the Southwest Pacific. The rather abrupt ending of the book at the conclusion of WW II leaves the reader wanting more and perhaps some future writer will examine Kenney's post-war life. Regardless, MacArthur's Airman is an excellent place for one to start any research on this superb, somewhat neglected air commander who was instrumental in turning the tide against the Japanese in World War II.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Fine Biography of One of the Less Well-known Air Commanders of World War II, January 25, 2006
This review is from: MacArthur's Airman : General George C. Kenney and the War in the Southwest Pacific (Modern War Studies) (Hardcover)
George C. Kenney was one of the most significant air officers of the World War II generation. That is saying quite a lot because such well-known American air commanders as Hap Arnold, Carl Spaatz, Claire Chennault, and Curtis LeMay are also members of that cadre. But Kenney is less well-known than the others. This biography of Douglas MacArthur's air commander in the Pacific Theater is a welcome addition to the literature of air power, rescuing Kenney from obscurity. Born into an elite New England family and educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, rather than West Point, Kenney became enamored with flight during World War I and enlisted in the Army Air Service where he became a pilot. He flew 75 combat missions in Europe and shot down two enemy aircraft. He ended the war as a captain, and received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star for his valor.
The air arm of the Army during the period between the two world wars was small but filled with young officers fired with a vision of independence based on the possibility of strategic bombing to win future conflicts. Kenney was one of those young men. He served in a variety of positions, concentrating on aeronautical development and its application to warfare and pursuing the chimera of victory solely through air power.
In August 1942 with the United States entering the Second World War less than a year earlier, Kenney assumed command of all allied air forces in the Southwest Pacific, and worked throughout the war as MacArthur's air component commander. Kenney found that meeting MacArthur's stiff requirements was not easy. The Japanese were at first stronger, of course, but the distances in the Pacific, the unique climate, the difficulties of logistics, and the dearth of virtually all resources made every campaign a challenge. His abilities as a leader, his willingness to cut through regulations and to innovate with both tactics and equipment, and his unique conceptions on how to organize forces and mass them for victory were critical to success in the Pacific. For instance, as this biography points out, experimentation with ordnance made possible the unusual but successful tactic of skip-bombing Japanese ships. In addition, Kenney's organizational approach of composite units with bombers, fighters, transports, and all support ingredients ensured that smaller units could conduct effective warfare in the expanses of the Pacific.
In 1946 Kenney became commander of the Strategic Air Command, the central organization charged with nuclear bombardment. In October 1948 he became commandant of the Air University. While in this position in 1949 he published a significant book, "General Kenney Reports," a work available in reprint from the Office of Air Force History, which was not only a memoir of his career in World War II but also an explanation of his theories on air superiority.
All of this and more is explored in this biography by Thomas Griffith. It is well-done and fully worth the time necessary to read and absorb its lessons.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Somewhat of a dissappointment, March 27, 2007
This review is from: MacArthur's Airman : General George C. Kenney and the War in the Southwest Pacific (Modern War Studies) (Hardcover)
I purchased this book with high expectations, but they haven't been met. While there are some interesting facts, it appears that the author depends to a large extent on his own opinion and that of other historians. There are also contradictions - he accuses Kenney of exaggerating certain events, then a few paragraphs later will comment on his military brilliance. It also appears that the author failed to do all of the research he should have. In one instance he refers to a mission in Europe when B-26s went into Holland at low altitude as evidence that Kenney's faith in low-altitude attack was ill-founded. But while the missions - there were actually two - resulted in very heavy losses, about half of the losses were due to operational causes and most of the airplanes shot down were lost to German fighters. Such claims distract from what could have been an excellent book. The author also fails to place the Kenney's decisions in the context of World War II where casualties were expected and accepted, but rather follows the modern military aviation philosophy that casualties of any kind are unacceptable. While I would recommend the book for lack of anything else on the subject, the reader should beware.
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