The Warthog and the Close Air Support Debate [Hardcover]

Douglas N. Campbell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003

The A-10 Warthog is an ugly, slow close air support (CAS) plane that many people believe should never have been built, yet it has proven useful in various conflicts around the globe and remains operational today. As Douglas Campbell explains in this sweeping survey of the CAS mission and the U.S. Air Force, many factors dictate the plane's existence, tumultuous as it is. As an embodiment of the airman's commitment to the soldier, the Warthog fills an important functional niche in the wide spectrum of warfare. But the author describes the A-10 as sitting on a seismic fault-line boundary between the Air Force and the Army, two services whose shifting war fighting philosophies, relationships, and doctrinal visions have affected the plane's fate.

In this story of an underdog and the interaction of military, politics, and technology in America, Campbell leads the reader through CAS history prior to the A-10's inception and then shows how Air Force historical and doctrinal interpretations met a host of contradictory factors, including the Vietnam War and the Army's super attack helicopter, that led to the building of the Warthog. The author uses its turbulent developmental and operational life to highlight a relatively unaddressed part of air combat history, and the book's wide historical scope sets it a part from others on the subject. Fans of the A-10 and those wanting to know more about close air support for American troops will want to read this work. 304 pages. 20 photographs. Notes. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. Hardcover. 6 x 9 inches.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This excellent book is the starting point for all intelligent discussion on the subject, and rightly so. It is brilliant." -- Flight Journal, April 2004

About the Author

Douglas N. Campbell flew attack planes for both the U.S. Navy and Air Force and later earned a Ph.D. in military and technology history. He lives in Wyoming where he teaches and writes.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Naval Institute Press; 1st edition (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557502323
• ISBN-13: 978-1557502322
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 1.2 x 6.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A-10: The Rest of the Story May 28, 2004

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Finally--somebody told the real story of the Warthog. I've flown over 3000-plus hours in the A-10, written scholarly articles about the "Hog" and close air support (CAS), instructed and commanded in the A-10. I had read all the previous books on the subject, and thought I pretty much knew it all. I was wrong.

This book not only provides THE gold-standard history of the A-10; it treads previously unplowed ground by using that story to explain the Air Force's constant love-hate struggle with the "CAS" mission itself. If you are simply a model buff, or airplane "eye candy" buff, this book is not for you. However, if you want to read the definitive scholarly work that reveals the complete story of the A-10's origins and operational history, as well as comprehend the broader doctrinal, and inter-service fault lines which the close air support mission--and the Warthog--straddles, this is your book.

It is the first book I've seen that accurately and completely conveys that story. Campbell's book rigorously mines Air Force, Army, contractor, Department of Defense, and legislative records to tell the real story of how this airplane came about (a "shotgun wedding" if there ever was one), and how it has prevailed over time like a cat with nine lives. In so doing, he brilliantly uses the story of the A-10 to articulate the true essence of CAS, and the Air Force's genetically-coded dilemas in dealing with it.

I believe Campbell's work fills a critical historical void. Simply put, if you want to understand the "psyche" of CAS in the Air Force, and the A-10's role in that saga, read this book. It should become a must-read at every military staff college, and for every official charged with equipping our military to provide close air support in the future.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Political History, Not Action/Adventure November 15, 2008

By Timothy Miyahara

Format:Hardcover

Campbell's review of the A-10 Warthog's history is an excellent academic examination of the political and bureaucratic processes involved in the development of both military doctrine and the weaponry to support the doctrine. This is not a history of the A-10 in combat, and anyone searching for war stories will be disappointed. This is the definitive work on the development of a modern Close Air Support (CAS) weapon for the Air Force and the CAS doctrine. The reader seeking an understanding of the political infighting, inter-service rivalries, the procurement process and the difficulties of weapons development associated with the military-industrial complex will be deeply satisfied.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Warthog and the Close Air Support Debate June 1, 2004

By William R.Collins

Format:Hardcover

Every Marine aviator and infantry officer should read this book. While focused on the A-10,it describes how the United States has become the world's leader in close air support. No one before Dr. Campbell has ever done such a complete history on this subject.