The air war against North Vietnam was launched with the nickname Rolling Thunder. This book covers the first phase from March 1965 to late 1966. It begins with the planning and execution of two initial limited air strikes, nicknamed Flaming Dart I and II. As the air campaign gradually expanded and the permissible targeting area moved northward, many in Washington believed "air power" could never win the war in the north. The United States Air Force reached its nadir during the opening two years of the Rolling Thunder air campaign in North Vietnam. Never had the Air Force operated with so many restraints and to so little effect. These pages are painful but necessary reading for all who care about the nation's military power. The author served as a historian for over twenty years with the Air Force history program. (Originally published by the Air Force History and Museums Program)