Carrier Warfare in the Pacific: An Oral History Collection (Smithsonian History of Aviation) [Paperback]

E. T. Wooldridge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 1999

Capturing the times when lives and victory were in peril, this book records the exploits of the men who fought in WWII in the air and on the sea, including pilots and air crewmen of carrier squadrons, officers and men of the ship's company, and admirals and their staffs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A stirring tribute to the heroes of carrier warfare in World War II. Thirty firsthand accounts by the officers and men who served aboard carriers and those who flew the aircraft from their decks illuminate with dramatic intensity the invaluable contribution of carrier operations that helped to turn the tide of war in the Pacific theater and led to the final Allied victory over Japan.”—Sea Power

“This is a story of guts, sacrifice, terror, and exhilaration to be savored by anyone interested in the carrier as the ultimate war machine.”—Publishers Weekly

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books; New edition edition (October 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560988223
• ISBN-13: 978-1560988229
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,228,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First hand accounts of history, June 14, 2003

By 

Jeremy Kuris (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carrier Warfare in the Pacific: An Oral History Collection (Smithsonian History of Aviation) (Paperback)

This book contains 30 personal accounts of the carrier war in the pacific. Some people provide more than one narrative. There are many insights and exciting passages. It was very hard to put down! You really get a sense of the huge quantities of men and machines that were being "thrown" at each other during the campaign.

My favorite section was Roger Bond's account of the British beer rations and the Americans' vast quantities of ice cream, and how each craved the other. That is just one example of the personal details you won't get from a typical historical account.

The only shortcoming of this book is its pictures. The maps are blurry and too few in number. A timeline would have also helped. Finally, I would have like to see some pictures of the equipment described in the narratives. Even better could have been diagrams showing the battle damage described in some of the accounts. Despite these shortcomings, I certainly recommend this book to anybody even slightly interested in what life was like during the WW2 Pacific carrier battles.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A critically important contribution to military studies., March 4, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carrier Warfare in the Pacific: An Oral History Collection (Smithsonian History of Aviation) (Paperback)

Carrier Warfare In The Pacific: An Oral History Collection is the latest entry in the highly acclaimed "Smithsonian History of Aviation Series" and presents compelling, personal accounts of behind-the-scenes planning and operations for six major carrier-versus-carrier battles during World War II. Included are the actions at Coral Sea, Midway, Eater Solomons, Santa Cruz Island, Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf. These detailed eye-witness accounts of aerial exploits and the heroic efforts on the carriers to continue flight operations despite sustaining heavy damages from enemy attack are the stuff of military history and legend. Carrier Warfare In The Pacific is a seminal and critically important contribution to personal, academic and public library military studies collections.