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"The aircraft carrier, in 1939 mistrusted not only by the more conservative type of naval officer - the majority perhaps of the senior ranks - but by those many fanatics of air power who believed that the shore based aeroplane had made all navies redundant, became, in the course of the war, the dominating factor in naval operations."

New York, N.Y., Ballentine:1968 (softcover)

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An anecdotal and occasionally humorous first-person look at life aboard an escort carrier during World War II by a navigation officer aboard one of the "baby flat-tops". Written and published during the war, it has been heavily censored to remove any references to specific ships, individuals and locations.

New York, N.Y., Ferris Printing:1944

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"'The Midway developed a reputation throughout the armed services called "Midway Magic," a name that expressed the extraordinary track record of accomplishment and active-duty stamina of the carrier and her men. Midway's reputation was built over five decades by hundreds of thousands of men, a total greater than the population of most state capitals. They were young men, many still teenagers, asked to assume unimagined responsibility and perform mission-critical tasks on a daily basis. Through "Midway Magic," the nation's call was always answered...'
- from the Foreword by Wally Schirra, Astronaut
Throughout its 47-year career, the USS Midway sailed at the center of almost every international crisis and conflict in the latter half of the 20th century. Its crew set new standards of naval aviation. A captured German V-2 rocket was launched off the carrier in 1947, marking the dawn of naval missile warfare. Midway taught the Navy how to fly among the icebergs during sub-Arctic winter air operations off the coast of Greenland. Time and again, Midway rescued thousands of refugees on its humanitarian missions. During an odyssey that spanned the end of World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Cold War, detente, and even Desert Storm. Midway answered every call, both military and peacekeeping.
Based on more than 300 interviews with Midway sailors who served aboard America's longest serving carrier between 1945 and 1992, readers of Midway Magic join the crew, experiencing these historic accomplishments alongside the men who were there.

New York, NY, CDS Books: 2004, ISBN 1-59315-027-X Provided by a gift from Rose and Margaret Foerster

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"This is the first full account of naval aviation in action in Vietnam. Experts Polmar and Mersky trace the employment of such famous fighter and attack aircraft as the thoroughbred F-8 Crusader, the workhorse F-4 Phantom, and the sturdy A-4 Skyhawk from catapult launch to target engagement. During ten years of fierce fighting, American naval aviation took the war to the enemy in the North and supported Allied forces in the South - steadily, professionally, and courageously.
This book provides detailed descriptions of the air-sea rescue operations, the important contributions of reconnaissance missions, carrier operations, and the "war-within-a-war" of electronic warfare and counter measure. It also provides extensive coverage of the role of Marine aviation, and the evolution of new tactics.
The authors describe the exhilarating, the exhausting, and the tragic dimensions of the war, using numerous episodes drawn from the personal stories of our pilots. The more than 200 photographs in this book provide a cockpit view of the war as it was seen by our aviators, flight deck crews, Marines, and support personnel."

Baltimore, Maryland, The Nautical & Aviation Publishing Co.:1986 (softcover) ISBN 0-933852-55-X

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"In February 1942 as the war in the Pacific came into full swing, a proud old aircraft carrier, the USS Langley, was called upon to attempt a mad dash across the Indian Ocean to deliver P-40 fighter planes to the Allies at Tjilatjap. To many, her mission seemed pointless, a desperate bid to serve a hopeless cause. To Dwight Messimer, the author of this carefully researched book, it was one of the monumentally stupid decisions of World War II, filled with political expediency and bureaucratic bumbling. Above all, it was a costly mistake in which nearly 800 men and three U.S. Navy ships were lost.
Here at last is the full story behind this tragic episode. Based on over fifty eyewitness accounts by survivors, war documents never before cited, and original Japanese sources, Pawns of War describes in captivating detail the events that led up to the mission, the attack on the Langley by Japanese bombers, her abandonment and eventual sinking, the rescue of her survivors, and the attack on and sinking of the USS Pecos, the fleet oiler that took on most of her crew.
But this book is more than just the story of the sinking of the Langley and the Pecos. It is also an in-depth examination of the circumstances surrounding the disaster - including the command mistakes that were partially responsible for the ships' predicaments and the tragedy's controversial aftermath in which the Langley's captain was charged with prematurely abandoning his ship. Messimer brings to light considerable new information on this period that heretofore has received surprisingly little coverage. At the same time, he offers a fast-paced, action-filled account of a thrilling moment in history that includes its share of heroes and comic anecdotes. His ability to humanize dry official reports, to place the reader squarely in the midst of the battle, is nonfiction writing at its best.
Pawns of War is a book to he appreciated on several levels. For the historian, it corrects many commonly held errors and offers a wealth of new facts to support the thesis that the Langley and her escorts and rescuers were needlessly exposed to danger. For World War II buffs, it helps to complete the picture of the early days of the Pacific war. For those who simply enjoy a good story, it is an exciting and unforgettable tale."

Annapolis, Maryland, United States Naval Institute:1983, ISBN 0-87021-515-9 (hardcover)

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Annapolis, Maryland, Naval Institute Press:1975, ISBN 0-87021-639-2 courtesy San Antonio Public Library

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"The now famous Wright brothers, who achieved a historic advance in aviation in 1903 by flying the world's first powered, heavier-than-air flying machine, received little notice by the American public at the time. The event wasn't even covered by the press until later. The truth is, Americans were slow to develop an appreciation and understanding of the potential in aircraft. The same is true for the United States military, who recognized that the Europeans were actively developing advances in aviation technology for strategic wartime operations, but failed to actively pursue the concept themselves until 1910.
The acceptance of aviation by high officials of the United States Navy was at first frustrated by surface admirals who refused to concede that the battleship had outlived its usefulness. Since 1910, Naval aviators have always had to fight for their survival in peace and war to overcome government apathy, inter-service rivalry, and the lack of vision of many officers in their own service. Today similar attitudes exist, as the U.S. Navy is dominated by submariners in almost all positions of authority, who continue to oppose attack carriers as the Navy's first line of battle. Fortunately, a few prophetic leaders have emerged in each generation to provide the necessary direction so that Naval Aviation could expand despite this ongoing rsarial environment. Pilots, Man Your Planes! is the complete history of these birds of sea and the stories of the people who stood proudly behind them."

Central Point, Oregon, Hellgate Press:1999, ISBN 1-55571-466-8 (hardcover)

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"This new book covers the history, design development, and combat career of aircraft carriers and shipboard aircraft from their conception into the future, and also presents the personalities involved in development, planning and combat.
Warbirds of the Sea covers the early carrier designs of the HMS Furious, and HMS Hermes, through to the first United States carrier the USS Langley (CV-1) in the 1920s. Also covered is the development of aircraft designed for carrier operations and the considerations needed for operations at sea - aircraft launching and arrested landings. Japanese and German carrier development in the 1930s is also covered.
The between the wars development of British, American, Japanese and other carrier-based aircraft is given special treatment as this era saw key developments in design that would influence the carrier battles of the coming war years.
In depth analysis of the milestone World War II carrier battles emphasizes the role of these aircraft and the tactics used by the various fighter, dive-bomber, torpedo bomber and reconnaissance types and their use in such battles as Midway, the Coral Sea, Leyte, Cape Engano, the Philippine Sea, and Okinawa.
Carrier operations in Korea and Vietnam explore the use of jet-age aircraft as angled decks, steam catapults, and optical landing systems assist pilots in take-off and landing the great warbirds of the 1950s and 1960s. Also discussed are the first carrier-based helicopter operations.
The Falklands War of 1982, with special emphasis on Harrier operations, and the 1990/1991 Persian Gulf conflict are covered in detail.
The present-day Nimitz Class carriers and today's high-tech F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18 Hornet, and A-6 Intruder aircraft bring Warbirds of the Sea up-to-date as carrier aviation moves into the 21st century.
Warbirds of the Sea contains over 800 photographs, over 85 carrier and aircraft line schemes, and 7 battle maps.
The dustjacket artwork showing the USS Bon Homme Richard in the Tonkin Gulf, circa 1967, is by Steve Ferguson."
Atglen, Pennsylvania, Schiffer Publishing:1994, ISBN 0-88740-583-5

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