Ebook: Britain's Greatest Warship HMS Ark Royal IV

Without a doubt the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal launched in 1950 was the most famous Royal Navy warship of the post-war era. The fourth ship to bear the name, the "Ark" owes much of this fame to the BBC TV series "Sailor" screened in the early 1970s and its distinctive theme tune "Sailing" by the gravel-voiced Rod Stewart. This book recounts the story of Ark Royal and her "people", from the laying down of her keel in 1943 and her first commission in 1955, through to her decommissioning in 1979 and her scrapping in 1980. The Ark Royal played a crucial role in the development of Royal Naval fixed-wing aviation and pioneered the concept of carrier-borne VSTOL aircraft. It saw extensive service during the 1960s and 70s, a time which witnessed many significant changes in Navy life and the way in which seapower was used as a means of projecting national influence worldwide. Painting a vivid picture of life on board a class of Royal Navy warship that now has gone forever, the author brings the story of the "Ark" alive using interviews and first-hand accounts. These range from former officers and crew, including admirals, captains and ship's company, to aircrew of the embarked Fleet Air Arm squadrons and the shipyard workers who built the "Ark". The book is fully illustrated throughout with black and white photographs - many of which are previously unpublished - and includes an 8pp colour plate section.