Product Description

The `ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, then moves to an extensive photographic survey of either a high-quality model or a surviving example of the ship. Hints on building the model, and on modifying and improving the basic kit, are followed by a section on paint schemes and camouflage, featuring numerous colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings. The strengths and weaknesses of available kits of the ships are reviewed, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites.

Built in larger numbers than any fleet carrier before or since, the Essex class can claim to be the US Navy's most significant weapon in the defeat of Japan. Carrying up to 100 aircraft and capable of absorbing enormous punishment (not one was sunk), they spearheaded the Fast Carrier Task Forces for most of the Pacific War.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #348169 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Customer Reviews

As much detail as any serious model maker will require.
Within moments of having picked up this book I had learned some important facts about the Essex Class aircraft carrier of which I was previously unaware. This class of carrier was built in larger numbers than any other class before or since and none were sunk as a result of enemy action. Capable of carrying almost 100 aircraft, they were able to sustain remarkable punishment in action and, being central to the Fast Carrier Task Forces, played a crucial part in America's fight against Japan in the Pacific theatre.

Of course, there will be those reading this review who will already know these facts - and much more, about this class of ship. My own work as a shipwreck historian, however, is ordinarily based on diveable shipwrecks although the actual research frequently takes me in all sorts of different directions. In addition, I also build the occasional model ship and it is through such interest that I came to this particular series of books - which I rate very highly. In short, even though this book is aimed at the serious model maker, the historic detail and photographs should not be overlooked by others with an interest.

In 1984, I visited the Essex Class carrier USS Intrepid which is moored in Manhattan. My reaction then was to salute the United States for preserving such vessels as museums because, apart from a single WW2 Cruiser (HMS Belfast), none of the Royal Navy's former capital ships remain afloat - anywhere in the world! From this book I learned the USS' Hornet, Lexington and Yorktown of this class are also preserved as museums ships.

As all devotees of precise models are all too aware, it is the minor differences between specific ships which make each replica in miniature an exact science. You cannot simply purchase a kit for, say, the USS Intrepid and, by changing her pennant numbers claim to have a model of another ship altogether. What I particularly like about this book, therefore, is the amount of additional detail which supports the historic photographs. In 1942, for example, the Essex had 5 lattice masts whereas, in November 1943, Intrepid was completed with only four. By 1946, however, the newly completed Princeton had only two lattice masts forward and eight whip aerials aft. Such differences are, therefore, vitally important.

This is another first-rate product from a well established publisher for whom author Steve Backer provides full details of each ship within the class including technical specifications, line drawings and different camouflage schemes. For those intent on pursuing further research, there is also a very useful bibliography and a long list of websites - some of which I found fascinating. Throughout the book, several pages are given over to those kits which are (in some cases "were") available with each product being afforded a most useful review of the plusses and minuses. There are also a number of featured models produced by very competent modellers with descriptions of all aspects of their work. This alone demonstrates to novice and expert alike, exactly what can be achieved.

Fully supported with a plentiful supply of historic photographs in addition to the detailed close-ups of those models, this is a book which will prove to be of equal interest to modeller and historian alike.

NM