Whirlwind is the only book to examine in depth the human drama behind the most important bombing campaign in history. While the air war against Nazi Germany has been covered in-depth by many books, Barrett Tillman, a renowned authority on military aircraft and the air war in the Pacific, is the first to tackle the air war against Japan.
For decades, historians and politicians have debated whether or not Japan was on the verge of surrender in August 1945—before the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Tillman argues that for all the widespread death and suffering, the bombing of Japan remains a great example of air power's ability to end a long, bitter, and bloody war without invasion. Writing from the perspective of the aircrews and the generals and admirals who commanded them, Tillman examines all aspects of the human drama of the war, combining historical analyses with the words of survivors from both sides of the bomb.
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"This book tells the story of the air war over Japan, but it does far more. Barrett Tillman describes the development of the B29 Superfortress - a revolutionary machine in its day - and he talks about how lesson learned in the Pacific campaign remain with us to this day. "
— John (5 out of 5 stars)
[An] ambitious and successful work.
— Publishers Weekly“The story of how B-29’s and lesser aircraft ended the Pacific War is wonderfully told by Barrett Tillman.”
— Wall Street Journal“[An] ambitious and successful work.”
— Publishers Weekly“Walking a fine line between passion and restraint, Foster delivers the words of those who did just that. It’s a complex performance. It works.”
— AudioFile“A blow-by-blow history of the Allied air offensive against Japan during World War II…Tightly focused, sure-footed military history.”
— Kirkus Reviews" Focusing on the bombing campaign, Tillman gives insight into the methods and strategy used by the Army Air Corps B-29 squadrons in the Pacific war. Recommended to any WWII aviation enthusiast. "
— Mark, 1/13/2014" Compelling read about the air war from start to finish. Good details and interesting side stories keep this book moving. It is not every detail but enough to make the reader understand what it all meant to the war effort. "
— Neil, 12/8/2013" A good history, lots of facts but not enough story. "
— Brian, 6/15/2013" Interesting accounts of bombing raids which many times are in the shadow of the European campaign and the Enola Gay. "
— Kirk, 3/2/2013" Detailed account of how the U.S. air campaign helped defeat Japan in Wordl War II "
— Edward, 1/23/2013" This book tells the story of the air war over Japan, but it does far more. Barrett Tillman describes the development of the B29 Superfortress - a revolutionary machine in its day - and he talks about how lesson learned in the Pacific campaign remain with us to this day. "
— John, 11/2/2011" Great read on the air war against Japan. Only fault is the lack of good maps but I got by by using google to pinpoint loacations. "
— Clayton, 7/29/2011" Detailed account of how the U.S. air campaign helped defeat Japan in Wordl War II "
— Ed, 3/23/2011" Focusing on the bombing campaign, Tillman gives insight into the methods and strategy used by the Army Air Corps B-29 squadrons in the Pacific war. Recommended to any WWII aviation enthusiast. "
— Mark, 2/24/2011" A good history, lots of facts but not enough story. "
— Brian, 1/2/2011" Great read on the air war against Japan. Only fault is the lack of good maps but I got by by using google to pinpoint loacations. "
— Clayton, 12/30/2010Barrett Tillman is a widely recognized expert on air warfare in World War II and the author of more than forty nonfiction and fiction books on military topics, including Whirlwind. His work has been cited in dozens of history books and has been used as course work by the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. The former managing editor of The Hook, he is frequently seen in television documentaries in the United States and Europe. He has received numerous awards for history and literature, including the Admiral Arthur Radford Award.