Reviews and Endorsements

Reviews

'This study seeks to overcome the large gap in the studies of air power in UN operations and to address the challenges faced by this world organization. As an overview, it has achieved those goals. The authors have addressed important lessons learned and shortcomings in the UN's use of air power and have made recommendations for future operations.
'I found this anthology to be a good resource for understanding the way air power has folded into UN operations and how the process is being improved. Having worked alongside UN forces in the Balkans, Africa, and the Middle East, I find the discussions spot-on and illuminating. ...'
   – Col. John Cirafici, USAF (Ret.) in Air Power History (full review)

'Air Power in UN Operations has different contributors’ perspectives; from eyewitness recollections, to academic analysis, to current day practitioners. .... Not strictly a military history, the book would be of interest for anyone working or researching in the field of peacekeeping.'
   – Andrew Young in the Journal of Military History (full review)

'When many people think of UN Peacekeeping Operations, the first image that comes to mind is the idyllic blue helmet and not UN pilots and their aircraft. This is the first book that delves into the history of UN Air Power and their missions and it utilises various stories, insights and fascinating research that make it quite accessible and highly readable. The book delves into the three uses for air power and their UN applications – surveillance, transportation and warfighting.'
   – Stewart Webb in DefenceReport.com (full review) 

'In this volume, A. Walter Dorn, Professor of Defence Studies at the Royal Military College of Canada, has brought together an impressive line-up of scholars and practitioners to consider how the UN has used both kinetic and non-kinetic air power as a tool for peacekeeping operations. Indeed, the narrative of UN peacekeeping operations generates images of soldiers in blue helmets on the ground. However, as this book ably demonstrates, air power has been a vital element of UN operations since the creation of its first “Air Force” in 1960.'
   – Dr Ross Mahoney, the Royal Air Force Museum’s resident Aviation Historian (full review, original post at Thoughts on Military History)

'[T]he book benefits from its uniqueness. As the first book to deal specifically with the subject, Air Power in UN Operations lays the foundation for what is an increasingly relevant area of research. Various chapters deal with a range of novel yet important aspects of UN air power ...'
   – Squadron Leader Travis Hallen, Royal Australian Air Force, in Australian Defence Force Journal (full review)

'The book definitely fills a gap in the literature on UN peacekeeping. It aims – successfully – to approach the UN aviation experience from various perspectives, which increases its attractiveness for a wider audience. ... Nevertheless, the book offers a fluently written, easily accessible point of departure for anyone working on UN air power–related themes.'
   – Nele Verlinden, KU Leuven, in Political Studies Review, 14(2), 257 (May 2016) (full review)

Endorsements (here)

          – Lieutenant-General The Hon. Roméo A. Dallaire (retired)

          – Alex J. Bellamy, Griffith University, Australia and International Peace Institute

          – Loch K. Johnson, University of Georgia, USA

          – William J. Durch, The Stimson Center, Washington DC, USA

[Bold emphasis added above for quick scanning]