Fly Navy: Naval Aviators and Carrier Aviation, a History

From the Back Cover

An Aircraft Carrier is a noble thing. It lacks almost everything that seems to denote nobility, yet profound nobility is there. A carrier has no poise. It has no grace. It is top-heavy and lopsided. It has the lines of a well-fed cow.

It doesn't cut through the water like a cruiser, knifing romantically along. It doesn't dance and frolic like a destroyer. It just plows. You feel it should be carrying a hod, rather than wearing a red sash.

Yet a carrier is a ferocious thing, and out of its heritage of action has grown nobility. Today, every navy in the world has its no. 1 priority - the destruction of enemy carriers. That's a precarious honor, but it's a proud one. -- Ernie Pyle, World War II

ISBN: 1586631896

Author: Phillip Kaplan Publisher: Metro Books
ISBN-10: 1586631896 Subject: History
ISBN-13: 9781586631895 Topic: --
Format: Hardcover Language: English
Publication Year: 2001 Condition: Good
Special Attributes: --
* Pub. Date: September 2001
* Publisher: Barnes & Noble
* Format: Hardcover, 256pp

Book Description

How does it feel to sit aboard a thirty-ton jet and be hurled over a ship's bow at 140 miles per hour? And how does a deck crew coordinate their efforts to achieve such a feat every thirty seconds?

Offering a rare glimpse of life on board an aircraft carrier, Fly Navy paints a vivid and often hair-raising portrait of military aircraft carriers and carrier crews and of the planes and pilots who depend on them.

Based on archival research and interviews with veterans and contemporary carrier personnel, this stunning volume tells the story of the aircraft carrier-from the first ramshackle seaplane carriers to today's nuclear-powered supercarriers-and celebrates their undeniable impact on modern warfare.

Synopsis

Kaplan, who spent time at sea on both British and American carriers in the research for this book, describes aircraft carriers of the past and present, the planes that have flown from them, and the lives of the men and women who run the ships and fly the aircraft.

His accounts of their experiences, based on archives, diaries, and interviews, provide a vivid picture of the dangers of combat and everyday life aboard a carrier.

Dramatic color and b&w photos from historical and modern eras illustrate the book. Kaplan has worked on books about combat in WWII and air and naval warfare. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

About this title:

How does it feel to sit aboard a thirty-ton jet and be hurled over a ship's bow at 140 miles per hour? And how does a deck crew coordinate their efforts to achieve such a feat every thirty seconds?

Offering a rare glimpse of life on board an aircraft carrier, Fly Navy paints a vivid and often hair-raising portrait of military aircraft carriers and carrier crews and of the planes and pilots who depend on them.

Based on archival research and interviews with veterans and contemporary carrier personnel, this stunning volume tells the story of the aircraft carrier -- from the first ramshackle seaplane carriers to today's nuclear-powered supercarriers -- and celebrates their undeniable impact on modern warfare.

-- Includes detailed coverage of the key carrier actions of World War II, with first-hand observations from veteran seamen, along with sections on carrier action during the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Falklands campaign, and the Gulf War.

-- Full descriptions of great carriers and the planes that flew from them -- from Swordfish biplanes to the Hellcats of World War II to the Carriers of today

-- Illuminated with more than 200 full-color and archival images

ISBN: 1586631896 Publisher: Sterling Pub Co Inc Published: 2001 Weight: 3.05lbs. Height: 10.25" Width: 10.25" Depth: 0.75" Language: English

Library of Congress Catalog Listing

• LC Control No.: 2001430388
• Type of Material: Book (Print, Microform, Electronic, etc.)
• Personal Name: Kaplan, Philip.
• Main Title: Fly navy: naval aviators and carrier aviation: a history / Philip Kaplan.
• Published/Created: London: Autumn, 2001.
• Description: 256 p. : ill. (some col.); 26 cm.
• ISBN: 1854107674
• Notes: Includes index.
• Subjects: Aircraft carriers --United States --History. Aircraft carriers --Great Britain --History. Naval Aviation --History.
• LC Classification: V874.3 .K36 2001
• Dewey Class No.: 359.9/4/0973 21
• National Bibliography No.: GBA1-Z5099
• Other System No.: (DLC)12514663
• Geographic Area Code: n-us--- e-uk---
• Quality Code: lccopycat