The paths of heaven

the long version

Even though Airpower has come to play an increasingly important role in both peace and war, the basic concepts that define and govern airpower remain obscure even to professional military officers. It is important for airmen to understand the theory of airpower. Airpower may not always provide the only solution to a problem, but the advantages of speed, range, flexibility and vantage point offered through the air and space environment make airpower a powerful instrument for meeting the needs of the nation. War has been fundamentally transformed by the advent of the airplane. This book is a valuable means of increasing our expertise in the employment of airpower. It offers an outstanding overview of airpower theories and will serve as the basic text on this vital subject. It will serve as a primer and an analytical treatment of airpower theory for students of modern war. The contributors, all from the School of Advanced Airpower Studies ₁ the descendant of the Air Corps Tactical School ₁ at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, USA, are highly qualified experts to tackle this subject.