The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 1998-1999: Their Ships, Aircrafts, and Systems [Hardcover]

A.D. Baker III (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1998 | Series: Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World

This 1998-1999 edition has been arranged according to a logical, universal ship classification system, improving comparisons between nations' fleets. The Russian section has been expanded, and it covers the US, Chinese and British navies, as well as lesser navies and aviation arms of 180 countries.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

If you need to find information on ships, aircraft, and weapons for navies worldwide, then this is a good source for you. You can search by type, name, and hull number, or compose your own query. You can search the complete disc or select an individual country. There are over 4000 photographs, some line drawings, pronunciations in 13 languages, as well as some excellent essays that discuss naval developments around the world. Characteristics and capabilities of ships, craft, aircraft, units, weapons, and sensors are displayed for easy consumption. In this edition the arrangement has changed, and ships are arranged from new to old within type. It is also notable that the Russian section has been revised and greatly expanded, based on a wealth of new official information about ships and equipment released over the past few years by Russian private and official sources. Bottom Line: A bit of a beast to load (we could not opt for a full load as it gobbles up hard drive space), but once that is accomplished it works efficiently. A necessary acquisition for history, foreign relations, and political collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This edition boasts a new format, more than 3,500 new illustrations, and an expanded section on Russia, based on information released in the past few years. As the editor notes, content reflects a number of trends, including the gradual shrinking of most of the world's fleets and "the continued distribution of recently retired naval units to other countries." Also comes in a CD-ROM version for $129.95, with networking options available (1-55750-112-2).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1088 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557501114
• ISBN-13: 978-1557501110
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.3 x 2.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,214,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SUPERIOR TO JANE'S FOR MUCH LESS MONEY, June 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 1998-1999: Their Ships, Aircrafts, and Systems (Hardcover)

I disagree with the first review of this book. I am a naval officer and found Baker's book to be a terrific reference for naval platforms. Too many people confuse a reference with a novel which this is decidedly not. It's wealth of data surpasses that of Jane's at a fraction of the price. This book, combined with the Naval Institute's Guide to Naval Weapons Systems, makes a first rate navy reference library for a relatively small sum. Many of the photos are poor, but many readers do not appreciate how difficult it is to get quality photos of many foreign and domestic naval vessels. The book is organized by country and then in hierarchical platform categories. It contains far more data on each vessel than Baker's previous efforts which had more plain language discussion and less hard core data. I think it is a superior publishing and one of the best I've seen in 20 years of looking at these types of books. If you want flashy pictures and voluminous text, look elsewhere.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the world, 1998-1999; Their ships, aircraft and systems., May 25, 2009

By 

Charles F. Fry "Knight" (Northampton, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 1998-1999: Their Ships, Aircrafts, and Systems (Hardcover)

Bought this book for a great grandson, a very inquisitive 7 year old.

He likes the book. The book was received shortly after I ordered it, and was in very good condition. No problems with this transaction. Charlie.