Iowa Class Battleships And Alaska Class Large Cruisers Conversion Projects 1942-1964: An Illustrated Technical Reference (Paperback)

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Key Phrases: command cruiser, proposed conversions, large cruisers, The Alaska, New Jersey, Santa Cruz (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This book presents an overview of proposed conversions of the Iowa class battleships and Alaska class large cruisers from 1942 to 1964. This book covers 16 conversions, with line drawings and full color original art illustrations for 11 of 16 proposed projects. Coverage extends from MACK-equipped double-ended Talos Guided Missile Battleship designs to Jupiter-IRBM-carrying "Missile Monitor" designs. This is a truly unique volume that provides not only new proposed conversion information, but a look at the ongoing US Navy modernization and experimentation projects of the early postwar/cold war era. This book is a must for those who have an interest in battleships in general and the Iowa class in particular.

Product Details

• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Nimble Books LLC (April 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934840386
• ISBN-13: 978-1934840382
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #324,202 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not worth $1 per page, July 9, 2008

By	Thomas Pope (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

With 24 pages of real content (not counting index, title page, colophon, blank pages at the end) and a large typesize at that, I was very disappointed in this book.

Each conversion project was given at most two paragraphs of attention, while every other one got a nice piece of lineart and a full color painting. The projects themselves were interesting and informative, but there is only so much you can learn in a single paragraph.

Were it not for the illustrations and artwork (which are all beautiful) I would have given this one star. Were it half the price I would have given it three.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Way overpriced!, December 24, 2008

By	Ian Roberts - See all my reviews

I'm a big fan of the Alaska class cruisers and I've spent a lot of time researching them, so any time a new book appears about them I buy it!

However, I must say that I am not exactly impressed with these "Nimble Books", as they are extremely pricey for what you get. The book itself is 38 pages long, of which only 24 actually contain information about the subject at hand. Five pages after the content ends are filled with information about the publisher and then followed with seven blank filler pages. The entire publication just sort of seems like it was put together by a teenager for a history project; there are many typos and misspellings that are quite easy to catch. Perhaps a new editor is called for? One thing that grates on my nerves is the author's use of the abbreviation "MACK" in all capitals; "mack" is a combination of "mast" and "stack" and, therefore, does not need to be capitalized!

The data provided about the conversion projects is interesting enough and it does an alright job of explaining them in detail. The paintings are nice, and the line drawings are just sort of decent... they are shown at such a small size as to be almost irrelevant; no detail is visible and one only gets a basic idea of what's going on with each conversion project.

I would recommend a prospective buyer to just save their money, or wait until the book decreases in price.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Iowa Class conversions review, September 8, 2008

By	Stephen R. Taylor "Steve" (Cabarita, New South Wales Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is unfortunately one of the most disappointing books I have read on these great warships. The text is very loosely spaced and occupies barely 21 pages, with very few illustrations. The only positive are the paintings of the possible look of the ships as modified in service.
The text does not even cover the Vietnam era updates or the other possible conversions considered in the 1970's and 1980's, which would have made it more worthwhile.
A very limited book and a great disappointment, and very poor value as well.
I returned it immediately.