Overview

The author begins this fascinating book by tracing aircraft carrier development between the Wars. Eschewed by the Germans and Italians and with Britain squandering her early lead, the Americans and Japanese became front runners. The Royal Navy learnt the hard way in the early stages of WW2 with the loss of HMS Courageous and Glorious but, following successes at Taranto and Matapan, the value of carriers was no longer in doubt. The sinking of Bismarck and the cataclysmic Pearl Harbor attack signalled the end of the Battleship era. Stung by such spectacular losses the US Navy threw its weight behind the carrier concept and the naval war in the Pacific (Guadalcanal, East Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz, Midmay and Leyte Gulf) revolved round carrier-borne aircraft. Meanwhile the carrier became pivotal in protecting vital convoys in the Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean. The author backs his arguments with copious examples of naval and air action. ILLUSTRATIONS: 16pp b/w plates

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9781781591567

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Based on secondary sources, but well-written in sparkling style, 'carriers at War' is an excellent addition to the bibliography- and very useful primer on the subject of naval aviation. -Warships International Fleet Review

Author Information

Adrian Stewart is a much published author with an impressive list of titles to his credit including 8th Army's Greatest Victories, They Flew Hurricanes, Alexander's Campaigns and, most recently Six of Monty's Men (2010).

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