On Wave and Wing: The 100 Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier - Hardcover

"Even in today's virtual, cyber world there is still nothing like being able to impose 100,000 tons of sovereign territory, unbridled and with the bit in the teeth, within a potential enemy's scheme of maneuver. Read on then and learn. Barrett Tillman captures it all through his years of research and myriad interviews with those who have been there and seen the elephant, so prepare to take in all lines and get underway with the best maritime--aviation storyteller of them all." --Captain Todd Zecchin, USN (Ret), final commanding officer of USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) "On Wave and Wing is a superlative account of the development of aircraft carriers of all nations and the people who man them, from Eugene Ely's historic first launch from a ship in 1910 to the present. Author Barrett Tillman, a consummate authority on naval aviation, highlights his narrative with accounts from aviators and sailors who have 'been there and done that' for a century. On Wave and Wing describes 'flattops' as indispensable assets in America's defense posture, and is so well written it's like a novel you can't put down. Strongly recommended." --Captain Rosario Rausa, USN (Ret), editor, Wings of Gold "In all of his nonfiction histories and novels, Barrett Tillman always presents a magnificent account of naval history, naval aviation, and World War II. On Wave and Wing is a comprehensive, finely-crafted account of aircraft carrier and naval aviation evolution from the beginnings in the British Royal Navy to the present, replete with expert analysis intermingled with the personal stories of significant aviators and naval aviation shakers and movers." --Stanley D. M. Carpenter, professor of strategy and policy, U.S. Naval War College

What defended the U.S. after the attack on Pearl Harbor, defeated the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and is an essential tool in the fight against terror? Aircraft Carriers. For seventy years, these ships remained a little understood cornerstone of American power. In his latest book, On Wave and Wing , Barrett Tillman sheds light on the history of these floating leviathans and offers a nuanced analysis of the largest man-made vessel in the history of the world.