Mark Clodfelter is a professor of military strategy at the National War College. He is the author of The Limits of Air Power: The American Bombing of North Vietnam, available in a Bison Books edition.

"A thoughtful and well written account of a central thread in the thinking of American airpower advocates and the way its implementation in two world wars took place at the time, was seen afterwards, and has come to be enormously influential in the decision process of our country's leaders into the twenty-first century."-Gerhard L. Weinberg, professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and winner of the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award -- Gerhard L. Weinberg "This is military, intellectual history at its best."-Colonel Gian P. Gentile, Journal of American History -- Colonel Gian P Gentile Journal of American History "A solid and impressive study that will enlighten those interested in the formation of bombing theory (Douhet through Warden) and especially its practice in World War II."-Kenneth P. Werrell, Air Power History -- Kenneth P. Werrell Air Power History "Beneficial Bombing views a somewhat familiar tale through a fresh interpretive lens, complementing other works examining air power's morality and effectiveness... Based almost entirely on new research in a wide array of primary sources, it illuminates the intellectual and philosophical underpinnings of America's air power."-Richard R. Muller, Journal of Military History -- Richard R. Muller Journal of Military History

• List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Source Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Genesis in the Great War 2. Progressive Prophecy 3. From Prophecy to Plan 4. Breaching Fortress Europe, 1942-43 5. Bludgeoning with Bombs: Germany, 1944-45 6. Fire from the Sky: Japan, 1944-45 7. Progressive Legacies Notes Bibliography Index

Mark Clodfelter is a professor of military strategy at the National War College. He is the author of The Limits of Air Power: The American Bombing of North Vietnam, available in a Bison Books edition.

"A thoughtful and well written account of a central thread in the thinking of American airpower advocates and the way its implementation in two world wars took place at the time, was seen afterwards, and has come to be enormously influential in the decision process of our country's leaders into the twenty-first century."-Gerhard L. Weinberg, professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and winner of the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award -- Gerhard L. Weinberg "This is military, intellectual history at its best."-Colonel Gian P. Gentile, Journal of American History -- Colonel Gian P Gentile Journal of American History "A solid and impressive study that will enlighten those interested in the formation of bombing theory (Douhet through Warden) and especially its practice in World War II."-Kenneth P. Werrell, Air Power History -- Kenneth P. Werrell Air Power History "Beneficial Bombing views a somewhat familiar tale through a fresh interpretive lens, complementing other works examining air power's morality and effectiveness... Based almost entirely on new research in a wide array of primary sources, it illuminates the intellectual and philosophical underpinnings of America's air power."-Richard R. Muller, Journal of Military History -- Richard R. Muller Journal of Military History

• List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Source Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Genesis in the Great War 2. Progressive Prophecy 3. From Prophecy to Plan 4. Breaching Fortress Europe, 1942-43 5. Bludgeoning with Bombs: Germany, 1944-45 6. Fire from the Sky: Japan, 1944-45 7. Progressive Legacies Notes Bibliography Index

Mark Clodfelter is a professor of military strategy at the National War College. He is the author of The Limits of Air Power: The American Bombing of North Vietnam, available in a Bison Books edition.

"A thoughtful and well written account of a central thread in the thinking of American airpower advocates and the way its implementation in two world wars took place at the time, was seen afterwards, and has come to be enormously influential in the decision process of our country's leaders into the twenty-first century."-Gerhard L. Weinberg, professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and winner of the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award -- Gerhard L. Weinberg "This is military, intellectual history at its best."-Colonel Gian P. Gentile, Journal of American History -- Colonel Gian P Gentile Journal of American History "A solid and impressive study that will enlighten those interested in the formation of bombing theory (Douhet through Warden) and especially its practice in World War II."-Kenneth P. Werrell, Air Power History -- Kenneth P. Werrell Air Power History "Beneficial Bombing views a somewhat familiar tale through a fresh interpretive lens, complementing other works examining air power's morality and effectiveness... Based almost entirely on new research in a wide array of primary sources, it illuminates the intellectual and philosophical underpinnings of America's air power."-Richard R. Muller, Journal of Military History -- Richard R. Muller Journal of Military History

• List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Source Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Genesis in the Great War 2. Progressive Prophecy 3. From Prophecy to Plan 4. Breaching Fortress Europe, 1942-43 5. Bludgeoning with Bombs: Germany, 1944-45 6. Fire from the Sky: Japan, 1944-45 7. Progressive Legacies Notes Bibliography Index