Second Hand Courage and Air Warfare
The Allied Aircrew Experience in the Second World War
Series : Cass Series: Studies in Air Power No. 2
Author : Mark K. Wells
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Condition
Very good condition in very good dust jacket which is clean, bright and unclipped with only light shelf wear and minor rubbing at the extremities. Blue cloth boards are clean and well preserved. Binding is firm and square. Pages are clean with a inscription to a previous owner/contributor near front. A particularly attractive copy of an increasingly sought-after academic study of Allied aircrew morale and combat experience during the Second World War.
Details
General - Pages : 240 | Images : Black and white photographs | Publisher : Frank Cass | Place of Publication : London, UK | Language : English
Hardback - Year of Publication : 1995 | Edition : First edition | Size : 243mm x 165mm | ISBN : 0714646180
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An important and highly regarded study of the psychological and human dimensions of Allied air warfare during the Second World War. Drawing upon official records, medical reports, personnel files and veterans' accounts, Mark K. Wells examines the experiences of British and American bomber crews who fought one of the most demanding campaigns of the war.
Rather than focusing on aircraft or operations alone, the book explores the selection and training of aircrew, combat stress, morale, leadership and the psychological effects of sustained combat. Particular attention is given to the experiences of personnel in RAF Bomber Command and the US Eighth Air Force, analysing how individuals and organisations coped with the extraordinary pressures of strategic bombing operations.
The study challenges many popular assumptions about courage, morale and combat fatigue, offering a nuanced assessment of why some airmen continued to serve effectively while others suffered emotional breakdown. Combining military history with psychology and sociology, it remains a valuable contribution to the study of air power and combat motivation.
