From the end of World War Two to the present day, the aircraft carrier has been a potent display of the might of the US Navy. The current fleet of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are some of the largest ships in the world, and can rightly claim to be mini cities at sea, with 7000 crew, upwards of 50 aircraft aboard and massive flight decks that would put some provincial airports to shame. Martin Bowman tells the story of the modern day carriers from World War Two through the Korean and Vietnam wars to the Gulf conflicts of the last two decades. Using many unpublished images, as well as interviews with pilots, crew and officers, he tells the definitive story of these floating behemoths.