Description
Book SynopsisA vivid history, packed with first-hand accounts, of the US Eighth Air Force''s VIII Fighter Command from its foundation in 1942 through to its victory in the skies over Nazi Germany.
On August 7, 1942, two major events occurred on opposite sides of the planet. In the South Pacific, the United States went on the offensive with the First Marine Division landing on Guadalcanal. In England, 12 B-17 bombers of Eighth Air Force bombed the RouenSotteville railroad marshalling yards in France. While the mission was small, the aerial struggle that began that day would ultimately cost the United States more men killed and wounded by the end of the war in Europe than the Marines would lose in the Pacific War.
Clean Sweep is the story of the creation, development and operation of the Eighth Air Force Fighter Command and the battle to establish daylight air superiority over the Luftwaffe so that the invasion of Europe could be successful.
Thomas McKelvey Cleaver has
Trade Review
The European air war from 1942 to 1945 is a daunting subject, but Tom Cleaver’s study of VIII Fighter Command contributes to our broader knowledge of ‘The Mighty Eighth’ with detailed coverage of personalities and events, plus insightful analysis. -- Barrett Tillman, author of 'When the Shooting Stopped: August 1945'
Drawing from USAAF and Luftwaffe post-combat reports, technical manuals, and personal accounts, Cleaver’s work has a crackling immediacy, giving the reader a genuine sense of what these pilots and ground crews experienced, along with providing historical context to the decisions and actions taken by the combatants throughout the air war. -- Lynn Ritger, author of 'The Messerschmitt BF 109'
The brilliance of Tom Cleaver’s latest effort – Clean Sweep – rests on the back of his grub-around-in-every-corner-and-under-every-rock research. He brings shiny gems to us – accounts, recollections, facts and perspectives that are fresh, and that complete a story that is too often told with soulless numbers and numbing narratives. Heartily recommended. -- LtCol Jay A. Stout, USMC (Ret.), author of 'Fighter Group: The 352nd "Blue-Nosed Bastards" in World War II'
This is a first class history of the campaign that was instrumental to Allied victory during the Second World War. * History of War *
A well-focused history of the costly U.S. Air Force campaign over Europe that fatally degraded the Nazi war machine. * Library Journal *
[A] fascinating tale with lots of detail. * The Armourer *
While there have been many books on the US Army Air Forces' fighter and bomber operations from Britain during the Second World War, few, surely, have been as well written as this... A very worthwhile and highly readable tome. * Aeroplane *
[This] is a first-rate single volume study that is highly recommended. * Aviation News *
Table of Contents
Foreword by Brigadier General USAF (Ret.) Clarence "Bud" Anderson Author Preface Chapter One: The Most Important Day Chapter Two: War on the Horizon Chapter Three: Fledgling Fighters Chapter Four: Yanks in the RAF Chapter Five: Starting Over Chapter Six: Opponents Chapter Seven: VIII Fighter Command Struggles to Survive Chapter Eight: The Battle Gets Serious Chapter Nine: Against the Odds Chapter Ten: Carrying On Chapter Eleven: Mission 115 – The Day the Luftwaffe Won Chapter Twelve: Reinforcement Chapter Thirteen: End of the Beginning Chapter Fourteen: Jimmy Doolittle Arrives Chapter Fifteen: Blakeslee Takes Command Chapter Sixteen: One-Man Air Force Chapter Seventeen: Big Week Chapter Eighteen: “I Knew the Jig Was Up” Chapter Nineteen: The Battle of Germany Chapter Twenty: Liberating Europe Chapter Twenty-One: The Battle of Normandy Chapter Twenty-Two: Oil: The Knockout Punch Chapter Twenty-Three: The Road To Bodenplatte Chapter Twenty-Four: Death of the Luftwaffe Chapter Twenty-Five: A Clean Sweep Bibliography Glossary Index
