A concise history of the development and use of incendiary weapons--flamethrowers, incendiary bombs, napalm, and more--by the American military in the twentieth century, with a focus on World War II.

• Describes how the U.S. created its incendiary weapons program virtually from scratch during World War II

• Pivotal episodes include Omaha Beach on D-Day and the skilled performance of an armored flamethrower battalion in the Pacific

• Also covers the history of incendiaries from ancient times to World War II and through Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm