This is a book of quotations and comments about air power, war, and military matters. But it would be a great mistake to simply read the quotes and take them literally. Each selection presents a picture that you can look at again and again. Taken together, different views of the same subject matter are like a drafter's plans; they can make either an interesting multiple-view description of the subject or a puzzle. Even a hundred books couldn't give a complete picture of air power and war. What this book attempts to do is present a mosaic - a big, grainy picture of military air power that gains value as you step back from it and achieve perspective. And like a mosaic, this picture fills in only as you fit each piece with the others. Readers who are just embarking on a serious study of the military profession will find food for thought here; the more advanced student should find a feast. You are invited to read, reflect, enjoy, and appreciate, so you may apply your understanding when called to do so. Col. Dennis M. Drew, United States Air Force Director, Airpower Research Institute