While not as famous as their larger and faster sister ships such as the Essex- and Yorktown-class carriers; escort carriers made an enormous contribution towards Allied victory both in the Pacific and Atlantic theaters. Rather than relying on size or speed; it was their sheer numbers that made them so effective. Indeed; the Casablanca-class escort carrier was the most-produced aircraft carrier in history. In partnership with the Royal Navy; they provided the backbone of Allied antisubmarine efforts in the Atlantic; finally and irrevocably turning the tide of the war against the U-boats in 1943. In the Pacific; they provided the air cover for the series of landings which led to the doorstep of Japan by 1945. These robust ships faced submarine; air; and even surface threats from the Japanese; but proved able to contend with everything thrown their way.Fully illustrated with contemporary photographs and unique specially commissioned artwork; this book shines a new light on these unjustly overlooked workhorses of the US Navy--ships that helped usher in the Allied victory over the Axis powers in the Atlantic and Pacific.
#1250865 in Books Osprey 2014-10-21 2014-10-21Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .40 x .7 x 7.95l; #File Name: 1472801040416 pages9781472801043
Review
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. ... still haven't made it all the way through this beautiful; information-filled bookBy Nadele JacobsI still haven't made it all the way through this beautiful; information-filled book; but only two chapters left and it's intriguing all the way. A varied group of authors give their individual takes and unique perspectives on specific topics on the battle; with many illustrations from the period to assist in comprehension. This is an elegant book with a protective sleeve and ribbon bookmark; printed on heavy glossy paper that does justice to the illstrations. Well worth the price.17 of 18 people found the following review helpful. Handsomely produced volumeBy Max PrendergastThis is a handsomely produced volume issued by Osprey to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. The hardcover is slip-cased; printed on high-quality paper; lavishly illustrated; and complete with a page-marker ribbon. Color is used throughout for illustrations.Rather then being a straight chronological account; the book is basically a collection of 10 essays presented as chapters and covering the campaign (Ligny and Quatre Bras); the battle itself (e.g. "The Cavalry Charges"); and related topics. Each chapter has a different author; and several of the top current authorities are represented (Haythornthwaite; Adkin; Esdaile). A good Order of Battle table; and a useful bibliography are also included. Overall; a very nice presentation with good content.So why not 5 stars? While Osprey is justly famous for its commissioned art work depicting the look of soldiers; their equipment; and scenes of battle; there is almost none of that here; most of the art (and there is a lot of it) is drawn from historical sources. Thus while the illustrations are very pleasing to the eye; and provide a good visual narrative; they are less useful as strictly a visual reference. Moreover; a few of the illustrations seem to have received less-then-perfect reproduction and are a bit fuzzy or soft-edged. Sadly; examples of this include the famous Lady Butler paintings "Scotland Forever"; and the stand of the 28th at Quatre Bras. Lastly; make no mistake: this is a British publication and takes an unabashedly pro-British view. Rather than an unbiased account of the battle; this is a celebration of a British victory (the Prussians do get fair mention too); viewing Wellington as every bit the equal of Napoleon.Overall; though; anyone interested in Napoleonic military history; the Waterloo campaign; or Napoleon or Wellington will be well-served by this volume; and happy to have it.22 of 28 people found the following review helpful. Not the best on Waterloo...By Kevin F. KileyThis volume is a great disappointment. I have great respect for Nick Lipscombe as a writer and historian. His Peninsular War Atlas is exceptional; and a classic; and is a must for any serious student of the period. And his Wellington's Guns is another must-have. Lipscombe is a thorough researcher and his writing style is easy to read; interesting; and informative. It is a great shame that he wasn't the author of this volume instead of merely the editor.I bought the book because I saw Nick Lipscombe's name on the book and didn't notice that he was the editor. And unfortunately; this book has not broken any new ground nor is it a good history of the battle. The Introduction to the book raises the old specter of comparing Napoleon to Hitler; which is not only grossly inaccurate; it has been shown by excellent historians such as JC Herold and Vincent Cronin to be an illogical and inaccurate analogy.As the previous reviewer accurately stated this is a collection of ten essays on the battle and it misses out on some of the more interesting facets of the battle such as the French infantry and close-support artillery attacks that were gathering momentum after the failure of the French cavalry attacks and posing a serious threat to Wellington's center. The artillery section is poor; and the lack of solid artillery references in the bibliography clearly indicate that little care was taken with this section.Overall; while a visually impressive publication; the overall value of the book is diminished greatly by what is not included and because of that lack; the book is near-useless as a substantive reference on the battle. It is not recommended; unfortunately
