Cataclysm

Herman S. Wolk retired as Senior Historian, U.S. Air Force. After receiving B.A. and M.A. degrees from the American International College, Springfield, Mass., he studied at the Far Eastern and Russian Institute, University of Washington, 1957-1959. He was historian at Headquarters, Strategic Air Command, 1959-1966. He served in the Office of Air Force History in Washington, D.C., from 1966 to 2005. A fellow of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society, he was awarded the Maj. Gen. I. B. Holley Award for significant contribution to the research, interpretation, and documentation of Air Force history. He was the author of Strategic Bombing: The American Experience; Planning and Organizing the Postwar Air Force, 1943-1947; The Struggle for Air Force Independence, 1943-1947; Fulcrum of Power: Essays on the Air Force and National Security; and Reflections on Air Force Independence.

"Cataclysm is a fine book. It deals with a subject that is central to the conduct of the always controversial last act of the Pacific War and indirectly with the creation of the USAAF in structure and doctrine. It will be well received and, more importantly, of great use to a new generation of scholars examining the Pacific War."--Eric M. Bergerud, author of Fire in the Sky: The Air War in the South Pacific and Touched with Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific "Although there have been books about the Pacific War, to include the B-29 campaign, and there have been books about Hap Arnold, there has not yet been a work that ties those two together and looks closely at Arnold as a combat commander. Herman Wolk is a true pro, and his unique book will appeal to military historians of all stripes."--Phillip S. Meilinger, author of Hoyt S. Vandenberg and Hubert R. Harmon "In Cataclysm, as in all his other work, Wolk combines detailed research, mastery of the secondary literature, and trenchant analysis. Wolk makes several original contributions to the literature on the development and employment of U.S. military aviation before and during World War II. . . . By delving deeply in his sources and asking original questions, Wolk has produced a volume with which students of the U.S. Air Force and World War II must reckon."--Military History of the West "The author does an outstanding job of identifying the critical issues and events, helping us understand combat leadership. Hap Arnold did not hesitate to replace a long-time colleague, Haywood Hansell, with the hard-charging Curtis LeMay. This became a turning point in the bombing campaign and in the war. That the author could draw upon earlier interviews he conducted with Generals LeMay, Hansell, and Ira Eaker enhances this study."--Journal of America's Military Past "The work is based on extensive research in major document collections, important interviews, and a lifetime of work in the field. . . . Cataclysm is an essential volume for the study of strategy in the Pacific war or of the development of American air power."--Journal of Military History "Wolk's book includes more detail and depth on Pacific air campaign grand strategy than any other available. His work is a solid contribution to the scholarship already available on General Arnold and the strategic air war in the Pacific."--Dik A. Daso, author of Hap Arnold and the Evolution of American Airpower and U.S. Air Force: A Complete History "Cataclysm is an objective, persuasive, articulate account of Hap Arnold and the strategic bombing effort against Japan in 1944 and 1945. It is a must read for any serious student of World War II, air power, and senior-level military command."--Military Review