Overlord: General Pete Quesada and the Triumph of Tactical Air Power in World War II - Softcover

Hughes, Thomas Alexander

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0743247833 ISBN 13: 9780743247832

Publisher: Free Press, 2002

Synopsis

Over Lord is the fascinating story of how American tactical air power was developed by General Elwood "Pete" Quesada during World War II, including its decisive role in Operation OVERLORD and the liberation of Europe.

Pete Quesada is one of World War II's unsung yet crucial heroes. With his famous "Ninth Tactical Air Command," Quesada established the best air-ground team in the European theater. he pioneered the use of radar in close air support operations, introducing weapons systems specifically geared to tactical operations. He nurtured new flying methods designed for the kind of precision bombing the battlefields of Europe demanded. And more than anything else, Pete Quesada championed efforts to model air and ground officers into a single fighting unit. His relationships with ground leaders like Generals Omar Bradley and "Lightning Joe" Collins were a model for the kind of interservice harmony that was essential for dislodging the entrenched German Army.

At war's end everybody from General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower to ordinary infantrymen recognized Pete Quesada as the premier expert and dogged patron of close air support. Allied airplanes over the battlefields of Europe had undoubtedly shortened the war and saved many thousands of lives, and Pete Quesada came home to a hero's welcome in 1945. By then he was the personification of tactical air power. Indeed, he was its over lord.

Unfortunately, Quesada's groundbreaking methods were all but forgotten after the war. As the Cold War deepened, Air Force leaders stressed the role of big bombers flying deep into enemy territory and renounced the importance of close air support missions. Quesada himself was shunted into jobs that were both illsuited to his fiery temperament and divorced from his wartime expertise in tactical aviation. Frustrated, he retired from the Air Force in 1951 at forty-seven years of age.

About this title

Review:

Stephen E. Ambrose "Author of "D-Day June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II" Pete Quesada was one of the finest airmen of World War II, an unsung hero who was critical to the success of the Allies. This excellent biography finally gives him the credit he deserves.

About the Author:

Thomas Alexander Hughes is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the department of history at Ohio State University. He divides his time between Columbus, Ohio, and Houston, Texas.

About this edition

• Publisher: Free Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0743247833
• ISBN 13: 9780743247832
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 412