This title examines the evolution of the aircraft carrier, from the first flights from ships in World War-I through to modern carriers used in the Falklands. It is a comprehensive country-by-country visual directory of the major aircraft carriers, with text describing the construction, appearance, function and history. The specification boxes provide at-a-glance information about each aircraft carrier's country of origin, the company that built the carrier, construction and completion dates, displacement, dimensions, types of aircraft carried, armament, power and performance. It includes quotes from military leaders, plus a glossary explaining military terms and abbreviations. This unique and impressive encyclopedia is both a fascinating history of the aircraft carrier's development and a comprehensive country-by-country visual directory of more than 170 of the world's aviation ships over nearly a century. Each directory entry is accompanied by a specification panel detailing country of origin, the company that built the carrier, construction and completion dates, displacement, dimensions, types of aircraft carried, armament, power and performance. All the carriers are accompanied by identification photographs, many of which are full-color and have never previously been published together in one volume.