AIRCRAFT CARRIERS: The world`s greatest carriers of the last 100 years

During World War II, the aircraft carrier finally came into its own. Fleet carriers carrying 30–40 aircraft allowed the Japanese and US navies to project air power across the vast Pacific Ocean, with the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor presaging a new kind of warfare. With the sinking of hundreds of ships during World War II, including the German battleship Bismarck in 1941, by the end of the war carriers ruled the waves and the era of the battleship had passed. Aircraft Carriers features flat tops and assault ships from the last 100 years, from the USS Yorktown, which survived direct hits during the battle of Midway (1942), through the Falklands War veteran HMS Invincible, to the mighty Nimitz class, the core of the US Navy's carrier battle groups today. Also included are significant amphibious assault ships, such as the USS Tarawa and French Mistral. Each entry includes a brief description of the ship's development and history, a color profile view or cutaway, key features, and specifications.

David Ross specializes in maritime, engineering, and railway history, and he has written and contributed to numerous books on these subjects. His most recent books are Abandoned Industrial Places, Rail Journeys, Bridges, Coast, Lighthouses, Ships Visual Encyclopedia, The Essential Naval Identification Guide: Submarines 1914–Present, Great Warships, and The World's Greatest Battleships.