Describes and analyzes, in the context of national policy and international rivalries, the evolution of land-based air power since the United States Army in 1907 established an Aeronautical Division. Provides a clearer understanding of the central role of the Air Force in current American defense policy.

"This is the milestone official comprehensive history of the United States Air Force with compelling stories about America's airmen and their aircraft. This document, Volume I, contains the first 12 chapters and begins with balloons and the earliest heavier-than-air machines. It carries the story through World War II to the establishment of the United States Air Force as a service separate from, but equal to, the Army and the Navy."--barnesandnoble.com

Describes and analyzes, in the context of national policy and international rivalries, the evolution of land-based air power since the United States Army in 1907 established an Aeronautical Division. Provides a clearer understanding of the central role of the Air Force in current American defense policy.