The Ship Model Forum

I think someone has mentioned this book here before, so I apologize if this is an old subject.

Uss Ranger: The Navy's First Flattop from Keel to Mast, 1934-46. How good is this book? Are there good quality photos and plenty of them?

I'm getting the "What can I get you for Christmas" questions, and a good book on the most forgotten US carrier would be a nice item for the library.

-Devin

Hi Devin,
I have the book, and it's pretty good. The text is a thorough description of Ranger's career, on a virtually day-by-day basis. Just about every crash or mishap is included in the description of the flight ops, and a good account is given of the action off Morocco supporting the landings, and the shipping raid off the coast of Norway.
However, the quality of the photographs leaves something to be desired in my opinion. Either the resolution of the printing process was on the low side, or the paper used is coarse, but the photos could have been sharper. I think a glossier paper stock would have reduced the graininess of the photos. Also, while there are tons of photographs, many of them were shots of the crew, flight ops, aircraft damage etc as opposed to general ship views. There weren't any drawings as far as I remember (book is packed away and inaccessible at the moment).
That said, it's a unique resource and a labor of love by the author for a largely forgotten warship. Overall, I'd give it a qualified thumbs-up. Hope that helps!
Best,
Ted