This book contains the proceedings of a conference held by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in Canberra in 1994. Since its publication by the RAAF₂s Air Power Studies Centre in that year, the book has become a widely used reference at universities, military academies, and other educational institutions around the world. This American edition is a somewhat shortened version with minor editorial changes. The contributors discuss the evolution of airpower from World War I to the near future. Essay subjects include World War I; doctrinal development in the interwar period; strategic bombing and support of surface forces in World War II; and airpower in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Arab-Israeli Wars, Falklands War, and Persian Gulf War; plus coverage of airpower in such peripheral conflicts as Operation El Dorado Canyon, the Malayan Emergency, and the Israeli raid on the Osirak nuclear reactor.

Air power in World War I, 1914-1918 / Robin Higham -- The true believers : air power between the wars / Alan Stephens -- Did the bomber always get through? : the control of strategic air space, 1939-1945 / John McCarthy -- World War II : air support for surface forces / Vincent Orange -- World War II : the bombing of Germany / Richard Overy -- "Definite limitations" : the air war in Korea, 1950-1953 / Jeffrey Grey -- The air war in Vietnam / C.D. Coulthard-Clark -- Air power as a national instrumeent : the Arab-Israeli wars / R.A. Mason -- "It was a bit of a close call" : some thoughts on the South Atlantic war / R.G. Funnell -- Air power in peripheral conflict / Dennis M. Drew -- Soviet air power in the new Russian mirror / Benjamin S. Lambeth -- Air operations in the Gulf War / Patrick Hine -- New era warfare / Charles A. Horner -- The future of air power / Richard P. Hallion.