SEATTLE/ Conservative Monitor -- "By Any Means Necessary: America's Secret Air War In the Cold War", by William E. Burrows is a thoroughly-researched, yet emotionally charged work of history. Anyone who thinks the cold war was not a real war should read Mr. Burrows's book. The recon pilots who flew missions near and through enemy territory were front-line warriors. Many died. Many were wounded and left scarred.

Not many people know about this war because it was fought largely in secret. The U.S. kept flights under wraps because they did not want to openly provoke the Russians or the Chinese or the North Koreans. Yet the recon program had to be undertaken, for the United States needed to know the location of possible enemy units and targets in order to make the nuclear weapons threat credible.

General Curtis LeMay took over the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC) in the early 1950s. He was charged with making certain that U.S. forces could deliver deadly force to possible enemies. LeMay came up with a motto for SAC, "Peace Is Our Profession" and he meant it. It was his notion that sufficient force in the hands of the United States would prevent a hot war from destroying the entire world in a nuclear conflagration. He knew that this meant we not only had to have the means but the apparent willingness to use our nuclear arsenal.

The U.S. often flew over Soviet and Chinese airspace in order to get photographic and electronic information. Mr. Burrows chronicles the drama and danger of this activity which was so necessary for U.S. military preparedness, yet was a violation of the national sovereignty of our enemies. It created a conundrum. The Soviets were loathe to admit that the flights were successful because it would point up the inadequacy of their defense system. The U.S. would not admit to "spying" and violating national sovereignty (until the evidence was all too plain, as in the case of Gary Powers and his U-2). This meant that airmen and sailors captured by the Soviets or the Chinese were often abandoned by the U.S. to their fate.

In "By Any Means Necessary" secret missions flown by recon crews are related in vivid detail. We are shown in stunning word pictures how U.S. planes were downed by the Russians. The crews of these flights often survived and many were captured by the Soviets. Burrows presents some evidence that these men were likely tortured and executed. Though they thought of themselves as warriors they were treated as spies. It is thought that more than 50 U.S. military personnel were killed by Soviet fighters or cruel imprisonment during the cold war.

Even today, it is difficult to get any information on the fate of the American's lost in this war. This is because the U.S. does not want to offend our new Russian friends by dredging up memories and revealing any atrocities that might have been committed in the heat of the Cold War.

Mr. Burrows does a marvelous job of communicating the urgency, intensity and secrecy of this war behind the scenes. His thorough research and his balanced approach make "By Any Means Necessary" not only an interesting read, but an important work in the annals of military history. We can take several lessons away from this book. Among them, peace is assured through strength. It was men like General LeMay that preserved the relative peace that reigned through the latter half of the 20th century. Strength is important, but knowledge is necessary for the application of that force.

The final Chapter of "By Any Means Necessary" is devoted to giving well-deserved credit to the men who flew the secret missions that gave direction to our nuclear forces. They fought in secret for four decades and continue their fight today. (The recent incident with China, well documented here, is a perfect illustration.)

Exciting historical narrative and keen analysis are the hallmarks of "By Any Means Necessary" - Highly Recommended ****