Influence of Airpower Upon Asian History
By Some thoughts on airpower over at the Diplomat:
A recent University Press of Kentucky edited volume, The Influence of Airpower Upon History, attempts to evaluate to impact of airpower since the beginning of manned, powered flight. The book largely avoids theorizing about airpower and instead examines how statesmen have used airpower as a policy instrument, and what the effects of this instrument have been. Although the book includes a chapter (by Andrew Erickson) on the development of Chinese airpower, it concentrates mostly on airpower’s impact on European and American great power politics. Given the role that airpower is playing in America’s Pacific pivot, it’s worth taking a moment to evaluate what transformative influences airpower has wrought on Asian politics since the beginning of flight.
Longer review of Influence forthcoming.