Table of Contents

Introduction
The origins of naval aviation, and the growing importance of aircraft carriers in naval warfare.

Design & Development
The chronological development of these Carriers, and covering modifications made during their operational lives.

Operational History
The service history of 14 Fleet Aircraft Carriers.

Carrier Operation
The way aircraft were handled on a typical British wartime fleet aircraft carrier, including a description the way launching operations were conducted.

Carrier Aircraft
The types of aircraft carried by these carriers, and their relative merits, and touches on the way they were used in action.

Carriers in Action
Three actions involving British aircraft carriers; Taranto (1940), Matapan (1941) and the sinking of the Bismarck (1941)

Bibliography

Promotional Information

The developmental, design and operational history of some of the most remarkable vessels in the Royal Navy's arsenal in WWII.

About the Author

Angus Konstam is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and has written widely on naval history, with well over a hundred books in print. He is a former Royal Navy officer, maritime archaeologist and museum curator. Now a full-time author and historian, he lives in Orkney.

Tony Bryan is a freelance illustrator of many years' experience. He worked for a number of years in Military Research and Development, and has a keen interest in military hardware. Tony has produced many illustrations for partworks, magazines and books, including a number of titles in the New Vanguard series.

Reviews

"This excellent survey of the craft's capabilities is a must for any in-depth military, aircraft or World War II collection!" --The Midwest Book Review (October 2010) "An excellent book on a most interesting subject and one that I am positive you will find to be of interest. One that will be pulled from the shelves time after time and one I can highly recommend to you." --Scott Van Aken, Modeling Madness