The Linebacker Raids

Between May and October 1972, more than 150,000 tons of bombs were dropped by US bombers on North Vietnam - "Linebacker I" was Nixon's retaliation against the North Vietnamese for having invaded South Vietnam. "Linebacker II" followed, lasting eleven days in December. It was the most concentrated bombing inflicted on any country up until that time, and a deeply controversial policy. The US achieved absolute air superiority, but the campaign failed to bring the North Vietnamese to the negotiating table. Horribly destructive though it was, the campaign did not work. This book is a thoughtful account of the Linebacker offensives, with substantial input from Linebacker pilots themselves.