AMERICA'S FIRST AIRCRAFT CARRIER

America’s First Aircraft Carrier tells the story of the USS Langley (CV-1), the Navy’s pioneering carrier that reshaped the way America fought at sea. Originally built as the collier Jupiter with a groundbreaking propulsion system still echoed in today’s Ford-class carriers, Langley became the testbed for naval aviation doctrine and the foundation of U.S. carrier power. From post–World War I debates on air power to her service in World War II and her sinking off Java in 1942, this book details both the ship’s history and the aviators who shaped it—figures who would later lead the Navy through the war.

Details:

• Format: Hardcover/Paperback (depending on edition)

• Length: 383 pages

• Author: David F. Winkler

• Focus: History of USS Langley (CV-1), America’s first aircraft carrier

• Highlights: Origins as collier Jupiter, carrier development, service in WWII, final action off Java

• Key Figures: Kenneth Whiting, John H. Towers, Godfrey DeCourcelles Chevalier, Ernest J. King, and others

• Themes: Naval aviation history, carrier development, military innovation, WWII naval warfare