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Professional Reading Program
General Ronald Fogleman created the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF)
Professional Reading Program in 1996 to develop a common frame of
reference among Air Force members -- officers, enlisted, and civilians
-- to help each of us become better, more effective advocates of air and
space power. General John Jumper and now General T. Michael Moseley have
wholeheartedly embraced and continued the Professional Reading Program.
The inscription on the Eagle and
Fledglings statue at our U.S. Air Force Academy reminds us that “Man’s
flight through life is sustained by the power of his knowledge.” I
believe knowledge isn’t a final destination – something we “get” and
hold on to forever – but is instead a never-ending pursuit.
 Billy
Mitchell: Crusader for Air Power
This is the biography of the pioneer aviation visionary Billy Mitchell
(1879-1936) whose contributions to modern military develop simply cannot
be underestimated. The subject of a court-martial in 1925, Brigadier
General William `Billy' Mitchell has been celebrated in books, film and
television before. But Alfred Hurley's biography of this influential
general goes beyond the more sensational aspects of a controversial
military career to provide a fuller and more complete picture of the man
who dropped out of college in 1898 at the age of 18 to enlist in a
volunteer regiment of the army and fight against Spanish forces in the
liberation of Cuba, was an avid horseman and hunter, and became the
youngest Army captain at the age of 24, and the youngest member of the
General Staff at the age of 32. Enhanced with the inclusion of an
appendix, notes, bibliography, index, and historic photos, "Billy
Mitchell: Crusader For Air Power" is an impressive and strongly
recommended addition to community and academic library Military History,
Aviation History, and American Biography collections.
 A
Question of Loyalty
This is a very good biography of one of the 20th century's controversial
figures; Army General Billy Mitchell. Prior to his court-martial in
1925, Mitchell had served in combat in the Spanish-American war and rose
to Brigadier General in World War I as Pershing's Air Commander.
Mitchell is best remembered for his demonstration of aircraft sinking a
battleship. The movie "The Court- martial of Billy Mitchell" staring
Gary Cooper glamorized the sinking and the court-martial. The battle
ship was stationary and it took two days and many bombs to sink it. But,
Mitchell proved correct about the vulnerability of capitol ships, as
demonstrated in World War II. Mitchell liked to live the good life and
to supplement his income, he did a lot of writing that cut against the
grain of the mind set of the military commanders.
 Eddie
Rickenbacker: An American Hero in the 20th Century
This is outstanding book is about one of the 20th century's most
remarkable Americans. Lives of few Americans have included as much
adventure, danger, drama, achievement and plain luck in one lifetime.
This book will appeal to a wide readership, those who enjoy great
biography, those interested in 20th century history. those curious about
how America has changed, and those who wonder how the amazing world of
modern air travel came about. It is the ideal gift for readers of all
generations. It is based on meticulous research over more than fifteen
years but is fresh, exciting and a pleasure to read. One cannot avoid
seeing parallels with the effects of today's technology upon every phase
of life. The story of Eddie Rickenbacker deserves to be told and
shared. I hope that one of Hollywood's masters will use creatively use
this book to help us further understand the intersection of biography
with history.
 Air
Power: The Men, Machines, and Ideas That Revolutionized War
Throughout his book, Budiansky takes issue with the views of theorists
and generals who claimed that air power could be a "war-winning" weapon,
either because it could be used to terrorize civilian populations into
surrender or because it could cause rapid economic collapse by striking
at the chokepoints in an enemy's supply system. The author argues that,
with very few exceptions (such as the interdiction of German oil
supplies in the last year of World War II), air power has not performed
very well as a strategic tool and has always been far more effective
when used as a tactical weapon in support of forces on the ground. In
this sense, the Second Gulf War in Iraq can be viewed as the apotheosis
of the effective use of air power: with the advent of readily available
precision weapons, even "strategic" aircraft such as the B-1, B-2 and
B-52 bombers have been used to great advantage in the role of close
support of ground troops.
 The
Influence of Air Power upon History
An easy read. Despite the book's title and its implication that it is
related conceptually to Mahan's book on sea power, it is not. It is
about the influence of air power in a broader sense -- not necessarily
on the battlefield. In addition to war, it is about the influence of air
power in the areas of politics, diplomacy, technology, and mass culture
because Boyne believes that air power has been not only significant in
battle but maybe even more in, "the direction of national policies, the
growth of industries, and perhaps most important, the rapid advance of
technology, even in times of peace." Unlike seapower, airpower presents
an immediate threat to a nation's population, whereas a sea-based
blockage takes time to be felt. Boyne believes there has always been a
symbiotic relationship between air power and the mass media, and that it
is no coincidence that popular perceptions and enthusiasm for air power
have been influenced by the simultaneous advance of the mass media.
 First
Heroes: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid
On April 18, 1942, sixteen B-25 bombers piloted by all volunteer crews
lifted off from the flight deck of the carrier USS Hornet. Their target:
Tokyo. Conceived by President Roosevelt and commanded by Lt. Col. Jimmy
Doolittle, this raid was designed to strike back at the Japanese as well
as avenge the Pearl Harbor attack. The Hornet was supposed to cruise to
within 400 miles of the Japanese coast, but the task force was detected
by Japanese fishing boats while they were still over 600 miles from
their target. Doolittle wasted no time in launching his strike, all the
while knowing that it would now be virtually impossible for the planes
to reach their pre-arranged landing sites in China. Although the damage
done to Tokyo was slight, the psychological impact of the raid on the
Japanese military was considerable. The raid forced the Japanese to keep
more of their planes in the home islands for defense and also sped up
the planning for the ill-fated Midway campaign in which the Japanese
navy would lose four aircraft carriers.
 Winged
Defense: The Development and Possibilities of Modern Air Power
The U.S. air services commander in World War I, Mitchell was a feisty
champion for air supremacy whose outspoken manner led to his
court-martial. This illustrated 1925 treatise employs Congressional
records, articles, and personal experience to articulate a controversial
vision of air power that was ultimately vindicated.
Check out the new online ACSC Masters Degree:
ACSC DL Masters Reading List
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