USS Enterprise (CV-6) History [Hardcover]

Turner Publishing (Compiler), Philip A. St. John (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Turner; Limited ed edition (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563113562
• ISBN-13: 978-1563113567
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,142,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars By the Men Who Knew Her Best, October 14, 2001

By 

Joel@AWS (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: USS Enterprise (CV-6) History (Hardcover)

Though authored by Philip A. St. John, what makes this book truly unique is that 60 of its 144 pages were written by men and officers who actually served in the Big E: Dusty Kleiss, Will Norberg, W. E. Roberts, Mark Roses, Jack Long (a CPO in my dad's division, V-5), Norm Zafft and many others. Some men -- like Kleiss and Roberts -- can be found in the history books; many others are "ordinary" sailors whose efforts made Enterprise the most successful and feared warship in US naval history.

The first 70 pages review the Big E's leading role in the Pacific War. Arnold Olson, Public Affairs Officer for the Enterprise CV-6 Association, fact-checked this section of the book for historical accuracy -- I can personally attest that he is a sticklier for detail -- and his efforts show.

As of October 2001, two books about the Big E are in print: this one and Steve Ewing's "Pictorial History" (isbn 0933126247). Both deserve a place on the bookshelf. Ewing's book includes more information on Enterprise's pre- and post-war story, a little more in-depth history, and an interesting section on the Enterprise CV-6 Association. Both books contain many photos, not all the same.

Philip's "History", however, is worth the premium price because of the many first-hand accounts it contains, and the personal involvement of the Big E's veterans in its production.