The Limits of Air Power: the American bombing of North Vietnam by Mark Clodfelter

The Limits of Air Power: the American bombing of North Vietnam by Mark Clodfelter describes the use of strategic bombing in Vietnam. The author attempts to explain why Rolling Thunder failed and by Linebacker I and Linebacker ii were successful. He makes a convincing argument that would it was not political interference but a change in North Vietnamese strategy that led to the operations success or failure. After all guerrillas don't need a lot of supplies or stand around in large concentrations. The linebacker operations were successful because the Vietnamese attempted to go into conventional war i.e. stage three of guerrilla warfare and can therefore be destroyed just like classic Western forces.

Highly recommended also good for showing why militaries refuse to adapt to the actual war that they're fighting.

Is available through Abebooks.



For reviews take a look at My Insurgency/Counterinsurgency, Partisan and Guerrilla Warfare bookshelf.