Carrier: A Guided Tour of An Aircraft Carrier

Sea Power, Apr 1999 by Price, Jennifer M

CARRIER: A Guided Tour of An Aircraft Carrier, by Tom Clancy. New York, N.Y.: Berkley, 1999. 352 pp. $16.00 [Internet: www.berkley.com] Best-selling author Clancy provides readers with a detailed look at the U.S. Navy's crown jewel-the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN).

As floating cities with crews of thousands, carriers inspire awe; as the linchpins of America's forward-deployed military strategy, carriers represent an automatic display of strength that sends a message no potential enemy can ignore. Clancy's tour is an indepth behindthe-scenes look at how carriers function. "Naval Aviation 101" is an excellent primer on the development and evolution of the aircraft carrier and its planes. Subsequent chapters include an interview with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jay L. Johnson; a look into the lives of naval aviators; a discussion of the myriad intricacies involved in the construction of aircraft carriers; a breakdown of the various components of a carrier battle group; an examination of Navy aircraft and the weapons they carry; and an evaluation of the role of the carrier in modern naval warfare. Well-written and detailed, Carrier is an excellent resource book as well as "a good read." Clancy is the author of many best-sellers including The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Executive Orders, and Rainbow Six. Carrier is the sixth installment of his Guided Tour nonfiction series about today's military. With glossary, bibliography, and black-and-white illustrations and photographs.