John Winton Book order

An authoritative examination of the role of the aircraft at sea during World War II. Perfect for fans of Max Hastings, Craig L. Symonds, Richard Freeman and Peter Gretton. Aircraft played a vital part in the war at sea during the Second World War. From the first tentative manoeuvrings of the British Home Fleet carriers in 1939 to the final triumphant strikes of the U.S. Fast Carrier Task Force against mainland Japan in 1945, the aircraft proved itself the most powerful, most flexible, longest-ranging weapon ever used at sea. John Winton examines in powerful detail the influence of the aircraft, its successes and its failures, over the whole span of the Second World War at sea, from the struggle against the U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic and the pursuit and destruction of the Bismarck, to the defence of Malta and the great Allied advance across the remote islands of the Pacific. Air Power at Sea 1939-45 reveals the seemingly limitless roles aircraft could play: torpedo strike, fighter defence above fleet and convoy, close support to the assault troops in an amphibious landing, long-range reconnaissance, mine-laying, air-sea rescue, and meteorology. The art of flying was constantly being refined. There were new aircraft, new weapons and new techniques, as well as a new type of sea captain, one who fully understood the power of aircraft at sea. 'a highly effective writer on naval subjects' - The Telegraph

From Korea to the Falklands, Vietnam to Suez, the decades of the Cold War saw many occasions of ferociously hot military action.Through in-depth research of these global conflicts, drawing information from military sources as well as interviews with participants allows John Winton to examine how aerial warfare has developed since the 1940s.Air Power at Sea, 1945-89 continues where the first volume Air Power at Sea, 1939-45 ended and provides thorough insight into how the naval forces of the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, and many other countries continued to utilise aerial warfare during the decades when the threat of nuclear warfare seemed ever present. -Back cover.

A full examination of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm from the beginning of World War Two until final operations off Japan in August, 1945. Perfect for lovers of naval and aviation history. At the beginning of the Second World War the Royal Navy had only seven aircraft carriers and a couple of hundred obsolete aircraft. Six years later it had more than fifty aircraft carriers of various types and thousands of frontline aircraft. John Winton provides a thorough record of Fleet Air Arm's activities during the war, from the initial setbacks of the Norwegian campaign in the spring of 1940 to the long campaign against Tirpitz in 1944 and finishing with the triumphant operations of the British Pacific Fleet as part of the US 3rd Fleet off the mainland of Japan in the summer of 1945. Find, Fix and Strike! The Fleet Air Arm at War, 1939-45 charts how naval air power came to hold an increasingly important position in the Royal Navy through the course of the war. Uncovering the operations of British aircraft carriers and shore bases, catapult fighters from merchant ships, support given to the British army in North Africa, escort carrier and catapult-launched floatplane activities, as well as numerous instances of individual heroism has allowed Winton to demonstrate the true importance of Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. 'interesting, clear and accurate account ... deserves attention by all naval history enthusiasts.' Warship International