[.ca] The Fast Carriers: The Forging of an Air Navy (ISBN 1557507015)

content:
This book is light on the details of the fast carriers from a hardware view,and heavy on the inside politics of the us navy.The events involving the carriers during the war were well covered.

The Fast Carriers: The Forgoing of an Air Navy:
I am not able to rate this book because I have not received a copy yet. It was ordered back in Aug. 2-3 air delivered and I would take a used book but this is required reading material for me in the Navy. I have to have this book ASAP. thanks

GREAT INSIGHT INTO FIGHTING CARRIER CAPTAINS OF WWII:
WELL WRITTEN BOOK ABOUT THE WWII FAST CARRIERS AND THE MEN WHO COMMANDED THEM. ESPECIALLY INTERESTING IS THE AUTHOR'S DELVING INTO THEIR PERSONALITIES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR STAFF AND CREW. SHOWS WHICH ONES WERE REALLY THE FIGHTING ADMIRALS AND WHICH ONES JUST EXISTED ON THE JOB. THE BOOK DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB OF DETAILING THE EARLY YEARS BEFORE THE WAR AND THE BATTLE WITH THE NAVY'S "BATTLESHIP ADMIRALS" WHO COULDN'T SEE PAST THEIR BIG GUNS TO REALIZE THAT CARRIER AIR POWER WAS THE NAVY'S FUTURE. IN ONE SENSE PEARL HARBOR DID MORE FOR CARRIER AIR IN ONE DAY THAN ALL THE PLEADING HAD DONE UP TO THAT TIME. I SERVED ON THE CARRIER MIDWAY IN THE 50'S COMMANDED BY WWII CARRIER AIR ACE "TOMMY BLACKBURN" WHO COMMANDED THE FAMOUS "JOLLY ROGERS" CORSAIR SQUADRON VF-17. HE WOULD HAVE MADE A GREAT FIGHTING ADMIRAL. A MUST HAVE BOOK FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN WWII NAVAL HISTORY

Evolution of U. S. fastr carriers forces during 1943-1945:
This book is not a U.S. carrier development history in general. Although it touches some historical events before 1943, its focus really falls on the period of 1943 - 1945 when Essex class carriers became the backbone of U.S. Navy. The author provides a great mixure of internal politics and operation history to illustrate the emerging Air Navy's growing pains and delights. This is a well written book for history-oriented readers. Readers who are more into technical details should seek other books such as Norman Friedman's "U.S. Cruisers : An Illustrated Design History".

Best so far, but ...:
Unusually for a book on the carrier war, The Fast Carriers focuses on events from late 1943 onwards, when the Essex-class ships began coming on line. It is a unique work, but has flaws that beg for a revisionist account. Reynolds is very much a partisan in favor of the carrier admirals, so his account of their intra-service battles within the Navy is unbalanced. He also sheds little light on the carrier task force as a component in the combined-arms force. The post-1943 focus costs him a chance to track the changes in training and doctrine that occurred after the 1942 battles. And, finally, his account of the Philippine Sea is conventionally critical of Spruance, without giving proper weight to the issues at stake in moving TF58 to the west in pursuit. All in all, The Fast Carriers remains an essential work on the Pacific War, but its place in the literature is tenuous. One awaits Eric Bergerud's forthcoming work on the naval component of the Solomons battles for new insights.