Superfortress: The Boeing B-29 and American Airpower in World War II (Paperback)

~ Curtis LeMay (Author), Bill Yenne (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Among the most sophisticated aircraft flown during World War II, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress was designed to replace the B-17 as the primary long-range bomber of the U.S. Army Air Forces. With its distinctive glazed nose and long, thin wings that provided both speed at high altitude and stability at takeoff and landing, the Superfortress was the first operational bomber with a pressurized crew cabin and featured advanced radar and avionics. Armed with remote-controlled machine gun turrets and a 20,000 pound bomb load, it was the first USAAF bomber capable of mastering the vast distances of the Pacific Theater of World War II. The prototype flew in September 1942 but a series of post-production modifications delayed the bomber’s first mission until April 1944. Superfortresses began attacking Japan in daylight with conventional ordnance from high altitude, but their mission was redirected in March 1945, with massive low-level formations dropping incendiary bombs! at night on Japanese cities. The ensuing firestorms, followed by the complete destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs dropped from two specially modified "silverplate" B-29s, forced Japan to cease fighting. Written by the man who led the B-29 into combat, Superfortress: The Boeing B-29 and American Airpower in World War II is an important document of one of the most turbulent times in world history. General Curtis LeMay recalls the early debate about whether or not the United States needed a long-range bomber, how the B-29 was created and produced despite the enormous logistical difficulties of the design, and the decision to conduct fire-bombings against Japan and ultimately drop the atomic bomb. Highly praised when it was first published, this new edition is complete with photographs, a new introduction, and statistical tables.

About the Author

Curtis Emerson LeMay (1906-90) commanded the XXI Bomber Command during World War II. He headed the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and reorganized Strategic Air Command during the Cold War. Bill Yenne is a San Francisco-based author of many books on military and aviation history. His most recent, Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West, is also available from Westholme Publishing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Westholme Publishing; 1 edition (November 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594160392
• ISBN-13: 978-1594160394
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #197,900 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superfortress: The Boeing B-29 and American Airpower in World War II, March 28, 2007

By	Robert A. Minicucci (Watertown, CT, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a Korean War veteran and an aviation enthusiast. From a history standpoint, I found this book to be one of the most interesting I have ever read leading up to the end of the war with Japan. I worked with B-36's in SAC under General LeMay and witnessed some of the things that he did when he was commander of this force. I briefly worked on B-29's during this time and often wondered how this bomber came to be. This book by General LeMay answered all my questions. I recommend this as excellent reading material to one and all!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superfortress: The Boeing B-29 and American Airpower in World War II, May 22, 2007

By	P. Evans "P Evans" (Royal Palm Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This book gives an unique insight into the best bomber of World War II from a man known for his bomber strategies.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative Reading, May 7, 2007

By	Dennis J. Nolan (Naples, Florida United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Very interesting and accurate history of a great airplane and how it helped win WW II