A daring and tireless leader who rose to the rank of brigadier general, commanding all of Americas aerial-combat units in France, and earning numerous decorations, Mitchell nonetheless managed to alienate most of his superiors! Mitchell's larger-than-life character emerges in all its color and complexity in H. Paul Jeffers expert biography, which tells the story how this brilliant combat airman's outspoken, and impolitic, advocacy of strategic air power led to the development of the U.S. Air Force, and also to his own downfall, demotion, court martial, and suspension from active duty.

Jeffers chronicles the highs and lows of Mitchell's career, from his true heroics in World War I to his influence on the design of such classic aircraft as the B-17 Flying Fortress and his namesake, the B-25 Mitchell; from his losing battles with the military's top brass to his astonishing foresight about the potential strengths and weaknesses of American air power.