The book’s thesis is that although the doctrine devised by airmen at the Air Corps Tactical School was significant in determining Air Corps force structure, it was far less important than other factors. Army doctrine, which trumped air theory, emphasized the use of aircraft to support the ground battle. This meant the Air Corps was compelled to buy observation aircraft, pursuit, attack aircraft, and medium bombers; large, strategic bombers were specifically rejected. As a consequence, when war broke out in Europe, there were only two dozen heavy bombers in the entire Air Corps inventory. This warped force structure would have a significant and detrimental impact on national strategy at the outset of World War II. Fortunately, inspired leadership, both in the Army as a whole and within the air arm, mitigated two decades of short-sightedness and allowed the Army Air Forces to play a decisive role in victory.