The Luftwaffe: Creating the Operational Air War, 1918-1940
Military planners learn from the mistakes of their predecessors and borrow from their successes. Because of prohibitions forced on it by the victorious Allies, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) reformed itself internally (and secretly) after World War I and then in 1935 burst on the world scene virtually overnight as an effective military arm. Through lessons learned from its participation in the Spanish Civil War, the Luftwaffe developed tactics and materiel that enabled it to produce a stunning series of conquests when World War II began in 1939. Corum (The Roots of Blizkrieg, LJ 11/1/92) has meticulously researched this metamorphosis and produced a scholarly treatise on the personalities, forces, and psychological makeup of one of history's most successful military rebirths. A necessary addition to military and history collections emphasizing World War II and the evolution of warfare.?Mel D. Lane, Sacramento, Cal.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.