The story of how America gained air superiority in World War II is of limited appeal to most readers. Gladwell, however, infuses the subject with energy, tension and personality. What could be a dry rehashing of tech developments and military strategy is in fact a tale of scientific invention and human ambition and weakness.
The main characters in this historical drama are the inventor of a bombsight that allowed precision bombing for the first time and two Air Force generals charged with bringing Japan to heel once the U.S. took control of crucial airstrips in the Marianas. Gladwell’s lucid prose brings their stories to life, clearly showing us the people who, for instance, incinerated half a million Japanese civilians without batting an eye. The humanity, or lack thereof, behind the wartime decisions isn’t always pretty, but it’s absolutely captivating.