The British aircraft carrier : in two world wars /Norman Friedman.

"The Royal Navy invented the aircraft carrier and dominated the early years of carrier development, in terms of both technology and tactics. After much experimentation the British established the basic form of the carrier with its uninterrupted flight deck and island superstructure, while simultaneously evolving audacious and highly original plans for their use during World War I, which inspired later naval thinking on the potential of carrier aviation. However in 1918 the Royal Navy lost control of its air arm to the new independent Royal Air Force and thereafter struggled to obtain the resources it needed to keep up with progress in the burgeoning carrier forces of Japan and the USA. In the 1930s the lack of a high-performance fleet fighter led the Admiralty to conclude that its carriers would be very vunerable to attack by land-based bombers, so came up with the highly original concept of the armoured carrier. The resulting Illustrious class proved their worth by surviving some of the most serious damage ever inflicted on any carrier. Many of these themes have been addressed before, but this book offers both novel insights and a more comprehensive account, based largely on declassified official documents, both British and US. All British carriers are covered, including those transferred to Commonwealth and foreign service, with the historical context, both operational and technical, explained in detail, as is the connection to larger British national concerns. The book is heavily illustrated with photographs, but also reproduces official plans from the National Maritime Museum, some of which have never previously been published."--