OVERLORD
Subtitle: General Pete Quesada and the Triumph of Tactical Air Power in World War  II
Publisher: Free Press
Published: August 1, 1995
Language: eng
Number of pages: 416
ISBN-13: 9780029153512
First sentence: WASHINGTON, D.C. 11 JUNE 1924. AFTERNOON.Twenty-year old Elwood R. Quesada gently rowed a small boat across the Tidal Basin.
Description: Overlord is the story of how American tactical air power was developed by General Elwood "Pete" Quesada during World War II, including its decisive role in Operation Overlord and the liberation of Europe.

Pete Quesada is one of World War II's unsung yet crucial heroes. With his famous "Ninth Tactical Air Command," Quesada established the best air-ground team in the European theater. He pioneered the use of radar in close air support operations, introducing weapons systems specifically geared to tactical operations. He nurtured new flying methods designed for the kind of precision bombing the battlefields of Europe demanded.

And more than anything else, Pete Quesada championed efforts to mold air and ground officers into a single fighting unit. This is the definitive story of an extraordinary man, whose remarkable efforts to aid foot soldiers in World War II, contributed significantly to the Allies' success. America's belated rediscovery of Quesada's precepts some forty years later in conflicts like Operation Desert Storm only underscores the importance of Quesada's story.