About The Book

From the skies above Europe to the beaches of Normandy, the Allied air campaign of 1943-44 orchestrated one of history's most decisive military victories.

In this groundbreaking analysis, retired Air Force Colonel Joseph T. Molyson reveals how a year of strategic bombing and aerial warfare created the conditions necessary for D-Day's success. Drawing on his thirty years of military intelligence experience, Molyson pieces together the complex puzzle of amphibious planning, airborne operations, and inter-Allied coordination that culminated in Operation Overlord.

Key revelations include:
  • How the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic enabled the crucial flow of American resources
  • The strategic bombing campaign's dual role in weakening both German industry and Luftwaffe capabilities
  • The intricate coordination between British night raids and American daylight bombing missions
  • Previously overlooked connections between air superiority and the success of the D-Day landings

Perfect for military history enthusiasts and World War II scholars alike, this meticulously researched account offers fresh insights into the aerial strategy that changed the course of history.

About The Author

Product Details

  • Publisher: Stackpole Books (June 3, 2025)
  • Length: 368 pages
  • ISBN13: 9780811777063

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Raves and Reviews

“In 60 well-organized chapters Colonel Moylson provides a lucid, readable account of the Allies’ essential requisite for D-Day: air superiority over Northwest Europe… Overall, Air Battles Before D-Day is an enjoyable, easily-to-read treatment of an enduring subject.”

– Barrett Tillman, National Maritime Historical Society

"[T]his highly readable account from a former Air Force Colonel, has added to my knowledge and proved to be a really fascinating read."

– HistoryBookChat

“Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of numerous maps, a two-age Introduction, four Appendices, twenty-four pages of Notes, an eighteen page Selected Bibliography, and a sixteen page Index, Air Battles Before D-Day: How Allied Airmen Crippled the Luftwaffe and German Army in France by Joseph T. Molyson, Jr. is a seminal, deftly written, extraordinary history that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library World War II history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.”

– Midwest Book Review

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