Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Carrier: A Guided Tour of an Aircraft Carrier by Tom Clancy, Leon A. Edney ISBN: 0-425-16682-1 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: October, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.18 (17 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A primer on modern naval air warfare....
Comment: Carrier, the sixth book in Tom Clancy's Guided Tour non-fiction series about America's armed forces, is a detailed look at the Navy's grande dame, the aircraft carrier and associated battle group (CVBG). Even 63 years after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor ended the reign of the big-gun battleship and despite the lethality of nuclear attack submarines, the carrier, with its 70+ plane air wing and assorted escorts, is still the most powerful, versatile, and visible symbol of American sea power.
Once again, Clancy and series collaborator John D. Gresham take the reader where no ordinary civilian can easily go. From the Pentagon office of Admiral Jay Johnson (who at the time was Chief of Naval Operations) to the bustling -- and dangerous -- flight deck of the Nimitz-class USS Harry S Truman, the authors explain the role of the modern carrier group in today's world, as well as describing each ship -- from carrier to guided missile escorts -- and aircraft that makes the CVBG the "big stick" of American foreign policy.
At the time of publication (2000), the Navy was still in the midst of the transition from large 90 aircraft carrier air wings (CAW), and strike pilots were completing the handover of air-to-ground attack missions from the venerable A-6 Intruder to the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet. Other changes discussed by Clancy and Gresham are the eventual phasing out of the F-14 Tomcat, the long-range interceptor made famous by Tom Cruise's 1986 mega-hit Top Gun. Although still a formidable aircraft, the Tomcat -- which has never fired its prime long range missile, the Phoenix, in combat -- is now a 32-year-old design and due to be replaced by late generation F/A-18 Hornet variants and the new Joint Strike Fighter now in development.
As in all the Guided Tour books, there are chapters devoted to all the elements that make a CVBG such a valuable fleet asset. Much of the book focuses on the Nimitz-class carrier's design, construction, power plant (or at least as much as the Navy will allow the authors to divulge for security reasons), and the embarked air wing. However, Clancy emphasizes the human element and describes the training and daily lives of the sailors and airmen that operate the various ships and aircraft of the CVBG.
Clancy also continues the tradition of ending his Guided Tour books with a short but entertaining fictional account of a unit in action. In this case, the author looks forward at the world in 2016, pitting the United States in a short but fierce confrontation with India after "the world's largest democracy" has a nuclear exchange with its Muslim neighbor Pakistan and becomes erratic in its foreign policy.
Although Clancy is hardly objective when writing about the military -- he clearly loves the services -- he does provide the public valuable insights into what the Navy does and the tasks our men and women in uniform perform daily in times of war and peace. Carrier, therefore, is an informative and entertaining primer on today's Navy...and tells the reader exactly why every President since World War II has asked, in times of crisis, "where are the carriers?"
Rating: 5
Summary: Great Overview
Comment: This is just a wonderful book on the topic. Clancy and co. have done a great job of taking the reader through the ships in question and really explaining the different types, parts, and jobs associated with an Aircraft Carrier. Clancy also does a good job in explaining what it is like to live and work on one of these ships. He also takes us through some of the training that takes place to get into the job. He also adds a good amount of detail of what the typical types of missions these ships and battle groups have today, what they did in the cold war and the possible missions upcoming.
I was surprised at the number of countries that also have aircraft carriers not to mention the different types the U.S has. Clancy takes us through a long inventory of all the different countries that have aircraft carriers today, what kind of ships they are and what are the strengths and weaknesses of the model. Another interesting part of the book was the description of all the countries currently making the aircraft carriers and how good / bad they are at it. I enjoyed the fact that the catapult technology really only comes the U.S. as no one else has mastered it.
Overall this was an interesting, easy to read and very informative book. If you are interested in aircraft carriers then this should be your first stopping point. A good book well worth the money.
Rating: 4
Summary: a must for military buffs
Comment: This is a most unusual book in that it goes into excruciating detail about the Navy, the Air Force and carriers. In fact, even though I found it fascinating reading, it's more than most people would want to know unless you're a real fanatic. At times I felt that a foreign power could learn how to duplicate our success by reading this book -- hopefully Clancy left some military secrets a secret!
The most enjoyable parts of the book for me were the descriptions of the pilot training (and the amazing prowess of Navy flyers who have to catch a "string" upon landing so they don't fly right off the deck), life aboard a carrier and the interview with the navy official. The chapters devoted to the layout and structure of the carriers were less interesting from my point of view.
A very detailed approach to carriers and their role in protecting our role in world affairs.
 |
Title: Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing by Tom Clancy ISBN: 0425149579 Publisher: Berkley Pub Group Pub. Date: October, 2000 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
 |
Title: Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship by Tom Clancy ISBN: 0425138739 Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group Pub. Date: November, 1993 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
 |
Title: Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit by Tom Clancy ISBN: 0425154548 Publisher: Berkley Pub Group Pub. Date: October, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
 |
Title: Armored Cav: A Guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment by Tom Clancy ISBN: 0425158365 Publisher: Berkley Pub Group Pub. Date: October, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
 |
Title: Airborne: A Guided Tour of an Airborne Task Force by Tom Clancy ISBN: 0425157709 Publisher: Berkley Pub Group Pub. Date: October, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
