Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force, 1947-2007 (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "In just sixty years the United States Air Force has grown from a disorganized giant, mired in the jumble of too rapid demobilization after World..." (more)
Key Phrases: recognized absolute speed record, speed record past, noncommissioned officer corps, North Vietnamese, Chief of Staff, North American (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Boyne...has pieced together a tightly packaged saga of the Air Force's origins and evolution."--Space News "A survey of Air Force history from the time it succeeded the old Army Air Corps after WWII.  A comprehensive study of the development of the Air Force and a spirited argument for the necessity of long-term planning."--Kirkus Reviews "[Boyne] writes as fluently and gracefully as ever."--Booklist

Product Description

The second edition of Beyond the Wild Blue, an update of the popular history originally released in 1997, is a fascinating look at sixty turbulent years of Air Force history. From the prop-driven armada of World War II to the most advanced Stealth weaponry, from pioneers like General Henry "Hap" Arnold to glorious conquests in the Gulf War, Beyond the Wild Blue is a high-flying study of the triumphs (and failures) of leadership and technology.In three new chapters, Walter Boyne covers an eventful ten years, including 9/11, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the second Gulf War, describing in detail the technological advancements that led to highly efficient airstrikes in Iraq.  He also takes stock of the Air Force's doctrine and mission statements as this unique sector of the military grapples with an ever-changing world.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 2nd edition (June 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312358113
• ISBN-13: 978-0312358112
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #677,777 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To The Wild Blue And Beyond!, April 20, 2004

By	James Gallen (St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force, 1947-1997 (Paperback)

To anyone wondering what "Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force 1947-1997" is about, I would recommend a careful look at the title. The title tells one exactly what the book is and is not. It is not a history of American Airpower, although the development of the Army Air Corps is briefly presented as background. It is not a history of the Air Force in war, although the war record of the Air Force is given its due. Beyond the Wild Blue is the history of the U.S. Air Force during the first 50 years of its existence. It is, in essence, an organizational history of the Air Force.

Reviewers often report that an historical book "reads like a novel". I would say that Beyond the Wild Blue develops like a novel. At the end of a novel the reader often realizes that it possesses a theme or a point to which the whole book has contributed. That is the case with this book. The ultimate point of "Beyond the Wild Blue" is that the Air Force has been an organization which has constantly striven, through a continuing research and development program, to achieve its mission through the advancement of aerospace technology. Through his telling of the story of the Air Force as it developed from a stripped down force in the years after World War II to the technological marvel which won the Gulf War, Walter Boyne brings us to realize how the organizational strategy of the Air Force has brought it to the point at which it is the power which it is today. He also makes us realize the degree to which the Air Force depends on the technical expertise of its officers and enlisted personnel in achieving its mission.

Throughout this book, Boyne mixes facts with his candid assessments of personnel who have affected the history of the Air Force. Generals, Secretaries of Defense and the Air Force as well as politicians all come in for forthright praise or criticism. Two of Boyne's heroes figure prominently in the story. General of the Air Force Hap Arnold, who had commanded the Army Air Corps in World War II, guided the Air Corps to its birth as an independent service and inspired its quest for technological superiority. General Curtis LeMay, more than any other officer, imprinted his personality and ideals on the Air Force, much to the benefit of the service and the nation.

Through this book we see the Air Force, at its inception, as a force poorly equipped with World War II leftovers. Ill-prepared at the start of the Korean War and handicapped by politically imposed rules of engagement, the Air Force was, nonetheless, able to establish air superiority throughout the peninsula and, thereby, contribute to the United Nations' successes.

Through the Cold War years of the fifties and early sixties, the Air Force preserved the peace largely through its capability to deliver nuclear weapons, both by manned bomber and ICBM.

The Vietnam War was, for the Air Force as well as all of the American military, a frustrating conflict. The handicaps imposed by politically inspired rules of engagement were more serious even than those imposed in Korea. As an example, pilots were forced to risk their lives trying to destroy trucks individually, while being prevented them from destroying freighters full of trucks in North Vietnamese ports.

After Vietnam, the Air Force continued its technological improvement at an uneven pace, varying with the political winds of the day. The ultimate payoff for the Air Force research and development programs would come in the Gulf War. In this war air control was established, not by defeating an enemy challenge in the air, but by preventing the challenge from arising. The destruction of Iraqi radar and communications kept the enemy planes hunkered on the ground. The ability of air power to pick apart Iraqi defenses and destroy and demoralize its ground forces proved the ultimate vindication of the Air Force research and development programs.

Throughout this book, Boyne presents an agreeable blend of narration about individuals, equipment, organizational concepts and war stories, detailed enough to hold the interest without leading to boredom.

This book addresses all aspects of Air Force service. Fighters, Strategic and Tactical bombers Air Lift and refueling all are given proper attention. The recent reorganization of the Air Force Commands was clearly explained. The changing demands of the American public that victory must be swiftly achieved with few casualties, either of friendly or enemy forces or noncombatants, and the Air Force's ability to meet those demands were presented as a logical result of the continuing research and development programs.

I was particularly impressed by the description of the refueling capabilities which can now keep aircraft flying virtually indefinitely. Equally impressive is the story of the B-52, which may have a useful life of 75 years from first flight to final retirement.

At the conclusion we are presented with an Air Force which has the potential to deliver military punch of unprecedented scope and dimensions. In an era in which the availability of overseas bases may be limited, the Air Force has the capability, through refueling, of delivering ordinance to virtually any place on earth through missions originating in the United States. Although beyond the temporal scope of this book, the continuation of the technological advancement was seen in the Bosnian operation in which bombing runs originated and ended in Missouri by warriors who would spend their nights at home with their families .

This book is a fitting tribute to the men and women who have carried the story of the United States Air Force into the Wild Blue and Beyond.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting narrative, September 17, 2000

By	"rhcentcom" (Dawson Creek) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force, 1947-1997 (Paperback)

This is a clear logical and easy to follow history of the Air Force. Some interesting observations are made, especially regarding the Vietnam conflict. This is a book obviously written by someone who was watching the Air Force develop from the inside.

A Good read that happens to inform.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars USAF - Best History Available, October 26, 2007

By	D. Thomas "Nuke Em All" (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have read many books on the subject of the USAF, and I must say, this is THE BEST ever.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a great deal of information, presented in a very readable way, and without being overloaded with statistics.

This new edition (2007) brings you up to date, from the formation of the United States Air Force as an independent branch of the U.S. DoD, to the present day, cutting edge "WOW" technology, up to and including OEF and OIF.

Awesome!