World War II Airborne Warfare Tactics (Elite) [Paperback]

Gordon Rottman (Author), Peter Dennis (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Elite | Publication Date: February 28, 2006

Osprey's study of air battle tactics of World War II (1939-1945). The delivery of entire divisions to battlefields behind enemy lines by parachute and glider played a significant part in the European campaigns of World War II. Despite notable successes, the costs and difficulties of this wholly new form of warfare have prevented airborne operations on a comparable scale since 1945. This book - by an airborne veteran of a later generation - explains in detail their advantages and drawbacks, developing techniques and equipment, with reference to specific German, US, British, Soviet and Japanese operations. The text is illustrated with period photographs, colour artwork and operation maps.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...this book provides an excellent overview and summary of World War II airborne force development. It is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in the history of airborne warfare and contains a further reading guide to a variety of titles and topics for anyone interested in more detailed information... Overall, the book is a valuable contribution to literature pertaining to airborne operations of World War II and provides an outstanding and clear overview of a very complex subject." -Captain David Wray, Canadian Army Journal (Summer 2006)

"As with other Osprey books, this is well-written and fun to read... This text offers a good overview of both Allied and Axis airborne operations in WWII; it is particularly nice to see the less well-know Soviet and Japanese forces included." -Michael Koznarsky, Historical Miniature Gamer Magazine

From the Publisher

An unrivalled illustrated reference source on fighting men and commanders, past and present. Each volume is packed with full colour artwork, making military history uniquely accessible to enthusiasts of all ages.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (February 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841769533
• ISBN-13: 978-1841769530
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #999,638 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where are the actual tactics?, May 4, 2007

By 

Swisspossum (Montana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: World War II Airborne Warfare Tactics (Elite) (Paperback)

Although this is a well done history of Axis and Allied Airborne troops in WWII, that is basically all it is. History, equipment, weapons, and synopisis of battles involving airborne forces are included and it is nicely illustrated. However, the title ends with "Warfare Tactics" and any actual information on such is very slim. There are maybe two actual pages concerning tactics specifically, and these are merely a couple lists of primary and secondary missions from old Field Manuals, and not actually tactics as such. If you're looking for a nice general history of the Airborne, buy this book. If you're looking for actual tactics, look elsewhere.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Concise and Informative, December 31, 2007

By 

John Scott Lucas "Scott Lucas" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: World War II Airborne Warfare Tactics (Elite) (Paperback)

This is a concise and informative guide which provides a good introduction to the basics of Airborne tactics in WWII, including the history of the development of divisions and tactics along with analysis of key battles. There are many good photos and paintings, clear maps and informative charts and graphs. This guide covers both Axis and Allied operations in both the Pacific and European Theater, which makes it a good crash course, but it tries to cover too much ground in too few pages for my taste. I would have prefered it if Osprey had spilt the material into two books, either one for each theatre or one for the Axis powers and one for the Allies.