Edward Jablonski authored biographies of prominent American cultural figures, focusing on composers and lyricists, alongside works on aviation history. His deep fascination with aviation, heightened by his World War II service, led him to explore its role in warfare and technological advancement. A formative friendship with lyricist Ira Gershwin significantly influenced his early writing. Jablonski's extensive freelance career encompassed articles, music criticism, and album liner notes, with a final project aimed at chronicling the history of American popular music.
This edition features corrected material derived from Edward Jablonski's handwritten notes, enhancing the original publication's accuracy. Readers can choose between a hardcover or paperback version, ensuring access to a meticulously revised text.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Army Air Forces had only 1,100 combat-ready planes. No one could have imagined then that within the next four years the AAF would become the mighty weapon commemorated in the paintings reproduced on the following pages, or that it would have to scope to engage in what its commander, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, described as a "global mission." Nevertheless, by 1944 the AAF had grown into 16 separate air forces stationed around the world, and its 1,100 planes had grown to nearly 80,000.
Text and photographs give some attention to the home front and to the high military commanders behind the lines but concentrate on the soldier on the front lines
Combines a basic history of World War II with more than four hundred captioned photographs, and features charts, maps, and a wealth of specific facts.
Enriched with excerpts and insights from personal correspondence and interviews--plus lively anecdotes and rare, never-before-published photographs--this fascinating portrait brings us closer to the real persona of George Gershwin than ever before. 81 black-and-white photographs.
