The Dream of Civilized Warfare: World War I Flying Aces and the American Imagination

(Paperback)

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Description

Analyzes the link between "civilized warfare" and the American self-image. During World War I, air combat came to epitomize American ingenuity, technological superiority, adventure, leadership, and team-work. Linda R. Robertson presents the compelling story of the creation of the first American air force and how the American imagination was shaped by the depiction of the flying ace - the gentleman warrior who offered not only a symbol of warfare in stark contrast to the muddy, brutal world of the trenches, but also a distraction to the American public.

Reviews

"In this extraordinary study, Robertson traces the American air service from its inception during World War I through the second Gulf conflict and reveals how through the romanticized myth of the flying ace the vision of "clean" or civilized combat was sold to receptive politicians and a gullible public. A highly controversial yet stimulating book that demands to be read." - Library Journal "The Dream of Civilized Warfare fills a crying need for an approach to the history of military aviation that acknowledges the forces of social and cultural history." - Military History"

Author Bio

Linda R. Robertson is professor and director of the Media and Society program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.