Over 500 colour photographs
Over 170

• An illustrated history of aircraft carriers of the world, from zeppelin and seaplane carriers to vertical/short take-off and landing jet decks and nuclear carriers, featuring over 170 craft with over 500 photographs



• Examines the evolution of the aircraft carrier, from the first flights from ships in World War I, developments during the inter-war years and World War II battles such as Pearl Harbor, through to modern carriers used in the Falklands



• A comprehensive country-by-country visual directory of all the major aircraft carriers, with an informative and expert text describing the construction, appearance, function and history



• Specification boxes provide at-a-glance information about each aircraft carrier's country of origin, the company that built the carrier, construction and completion dates, displacement, dimensions, types of aircraft carried, armament, power and performance



• Includes fascinating quotes from military leaders, plus a glossary explaining key military terms and abbreviations



• Features over 500 colour and black and white photographs illustrating each type of aircraft carrier

For centuries, battle fleets were challenged only by other ships, but the coming of the aircraft changed all that. With a rapid development encouraged by war, the aircraft soon became a threat, a defence and an indispensable auxiliary. Operating necessarily beyond the range of shore-based air support, the fleets, led by the Royal Navy, learned how to carry their own aircraft and by the end of World War I the aircraft carrier as we know it today had properly come into being.

This unique and impressive encyclopedia is both a fascinating history of the aircraft carrier's development and a comprehensive country-by-country visual directory of more than 170 of the world's aviation ships over nearly a century.

The book's coverage follows the definition of an aircraft carrier as "a ship whose primary function is to operate aircraft", and includes, at one end of the chronological scale, kite balloon ships and airships and, at the other, the many types of modern ships that carry aircraft such as V/STOL jets and helicopters.

Each directory entry is accompanied by a specification panel detailing country of origin, the company that built the carrier, construction and completion dates, displacement, dimensions, types of aircraft carried, armament, power and performance. All the carriers are accompanied by identification photographs, many of which are full-colour and have never previously been published together in one volume.

With magnificent illustrations and up-to-date information, this book provides both enthusiasts and historians with key information about the world's aircraft carriers, and is an essential reference for everyone interested in naval aviation.

About the Authors

Bernard Ireland - Author

Bernard Ireland has a lifelong interest in naval history and development, having spent 30 years in ship research for the Admiralty in the Royal Naval Scientific Service. He has also worked as an illustrator for the shipping industry, producing artist's impressions and technical cutaways for companies such as Canadian Pacific and Blue Star Lines, and has produced illustrations for the Port of London Monthly and technical posters for the Science Museum, South Kensington. He is the author of over 25 specialist naval books, together with major contributions to numerous partworks and journals on the history of ships.