Focusing on its design， development and deployment during the Cold War， this title charts the history of the groundbreaking B-58 Hustler bomber， the first large aircraft capable of Mach 2 at 63，000 feet。

One of the most dramatic bombers of its day， the Convair B-58 came to epitomize the Cold War power of Strategic Air Command。 Introduced only 12 years after the sound barrier was first broken， this iconic plane became the first large long-range supersonic bomber to take to the skies， a feat which had seemed far-fetched only a few years previously。 Outstripping its contemporaries in terms of speed， and agile enough to escape most interceptors， the B-58 was a remarkable feat of engineering， setting 19 world speed records and collecting a host of trophies。 The first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 at 63，000 feet， it was able to evade hostile fighters and represented a serious threat to targets across the Soviet Bloc。
Supported by contemporary first-hand accounts， photography， and full-color illustrations， this study explores the history of this groundbreaking aircraft from its conception to its little-known testing for use in the Vietnam War。