Bombers Over Japan

A VERY WELL WRITTEN,WELL ILLUSTRATED VOLUME ON THE B-29 IN BOTH THE CBI THEATER AND THE PACIFIC DURING WW2,AS WELL AS THE NUMEROUS TEETHING PROBLEMS DURING THE PLANE'S DEVELOPMENT AND INITIAL DEPLOYMENT TO INDIA AND CHINA. I ESPECIALLY LIKED THE DISCUSSIONS OF JAPANESE DEFENSES AGAINST THE RAIDS, AND THERE IS AN OUTSTANDING RECOGNITION CHART WITH ALL THE VARIOUS JAPANESE FIGHTER TYPES EMPLOYED AGAINST IT. ALSO COVERED IS THE HISTORY OF THE 20th AIR FORCE,WHICH TOOK OVER COMMAND OF THE BOMBERS AND TRANSFERRED THEM TO TINIAN ISLAND IN THE PACIFIC, AFTER MISSIONS FROM INDIA AND CHINA PROVED VERY DISAPPOINTING.I DON'T REVIEW BOOKS UNLESS I GIVE THEM 5 STARS, WHICH THIS BOOK LIVES UP TO WITH TIME-LIFE'S USUAL HIGH STANDARDS.

The title is a bit misleading, since this book is mainly a history of the B-29 during WWII, including its development, mechanical workings, early flights, and of course, its bombing missions over Japan. The book is a terrific photo essay, and has really great photos of the innards of the B-29, as well as shots of the B-29 bases in China and then at Guam, pictures from the bombing missions, pictures of the Japanese fighter pilot opposition, etc. Almost every aspect of the history of the B-29 is covered, including a photo of the crash site where Boeing test pilot Edmund Allen was killed. I had read elsewheres already that the prototype B-29 had plowed into a meat packing plant - the photo in this book shows pigs that were let loose by the crash standing on the roof of the partially collapsed building! There are just so many photos like that one that are intensely unique and eye-catching; the book just sweeps you back into time, back when the B-29 was first struggling to get going, and then progressing to where it became the most devastating deliverer of death and destruction of WWII.

Part of the acclaimed Time/Life World War Two series and one of the more hard to find titles in the series, this book provides an amazing detailed history of the later stages of the Pacific War. Some of the finest photos of any WWII series, this book truly should be part of any comprehensive personal WWII reference library.