U.S. Aerial Armament in World War II: The Ultimate Look, Vol. 3 - Air Launched Rockets, Mines, Torpedoes, Guided Missiles and Secret Weapons

I am an aviation historian/Hobbyist focused on 1936 to modern times. While this book is a treasure trove of information, it has many editing issues and gaps of incomplete information. That being said the Author has put together a string of great reference books on US Weapons in World War Two. I own 3 of his "Ultimate Look" Books. The B-32 Dominator, and Aerial Armament books 2 and 3. Even with the above mentioned errors I will continue to buy William Wolf Books.Anyway I like to rate books on a set of factors:1) Accuracy of information in book (Higher is better.) 4.0, only due to the editing issues. Would be a 5.0 otherwise!2) readability (Higher is better.) 4.0, Again editing issues3) Depth of information 5.04) Duplication of other works (Lower is better) 1.5

As the final volume is a fantastic series on US Aerial Armament of WW II, the author finished with bang! Being a history enthusiast, I found the book filled in the missing parts of my knowledge of guided missiles created during WW II. The book is well organized , as is the whole series, lavishly illustrated and easy to read. For anyone interested in US aircraft and armament during WW II, this book, as well as the other two volumes, are a must have,.

Amazing for its breadth and depth of coverage, this is truly "The Ultimate Look" at this subject. Much of the material is simply available nowhere else. The only negative thing I can say is the author, in casting as wide as possible net, tends to indulge himself in arcane sidetracks..the filmography and biography of Hedy Lamarr for instance. But even these are interesting if somewhat distracting to the main effort. In all a must have for the serious student of World War Two airpower.

This is the third volume of William Wolf's excellent trilogy on U.S. Aerial Armament in WWII. Like the previous volumes in the series, it is excellent. It is packed with information on US Fighter Bombers, Naplam, Rockets, Depth Bombs, Torpedoes, the various guided bomb and missle programs, very heavy conventional bombs such as Tallboy,Grand Slam and Amazon,the Nuclear Bomb program, Drones,Mines, Leaflet and Chemical Bombs and the bizarre animal bomb programs using bats and pigeons.The book is superbly illustrated with many photos and drawings and has many useful tables.You will not find this comprehensive a look at all these WWII aerial weapon systems anywhere else. The entire three volume series is a must for anyone interested in USAAF and Navy/Marine air warfare in WWII.

Great reference book for people that want to know more about ordnance and weapons.

U.S. AERIAL ARMAMENT IN WORLD WAR II-THE ULTIMATE LOOK VOLUME 3: AIR-LAUNCHED ROCKETS, MINES, TORPEDOES, GUIDED MISSILES, AND SECRET WEAPONSWILLIAM WOLFSCHIFFER MILITARY HISTORY, 2010HARDCOVER, $69.99, 320 PAGES, PHOTOGRAPHS, DIAGRAMS, CHARTS, TABLESBombing operations against strategic targets were the primary mission of the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. During the 1,000 plus days of its air campaign, the fundamental technique of this campaign remained the same-daylight high-altitude precision bombing employing large formations of heavy bombers. Detail changes to improve performance and meet every counteraction were frequently introduced as air operations progressed, but there was no departure from the basic tactical doctrine established in the first few months of combat. In his follow-up to his two highly successful U.S. Aerial Armament in World War II-Volumes 1 and 2, author William Wolf delivers U.S. AERIAL ARMAMENT IN WORLD WAR II-THE ULTIMATE LOOK VOLUME 3: AIR-LAUNCHED ROCKETS, MINES, TORPEDOES, GUIDED MISSILES, AND SECRET WEAPONS. This well-researched and timely book has chapters that cover rockets, napalm, torpedoes, depth charges, aerial mines, guided missiles, Speedee Bombs, Hydrobomb, Disney Rocket-Assisted Bomb, Very Heavy conventional bombs, the atomic bomb, poison gas and biological bombs, psychological weapons, and even the war on insects and animal aerial weapons. Expertly gathered from technical manuals, microfilm, books, and magazines, Wolf's U.S. AERIAL ARMAMENT IN WORLD WAR II-THE ULTIMATE LOOK VOLUME 3: AIR-LAUNCHED ROCKETS, MINES, TORPEDOES, GUIDED MISSILES, AND SECRET WEAPONS is nothing short of a technical masterpiece that includes not only hard to find data on many unknown types of aviation ordnance but also photographs and diagrams that further compliment the information in this outstanding book. If you are a serious student or just a collector of World War II aviation books, this book belongs on your personal library shelf.Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida GuardOrlando, Florida

Very comprehensive book about U.S. aerial armament in WW2. It covers less known topics like depth charges, torpedos and other uncommon aerial bombs.