Within ten years of man's first flight, the armies and natives of the world had seen the potential of the flying machine as a survey and reconnaissance aircraft within the military sphere, and the need became obvious for an aircraft-carrying ship to be developed. From small lighters through to battleships with runways on their turrets, submarines, converted ocean liners and ferries, to the mighty aircraft-carriers of today, Maurice Cocker looks at the whole range of Royal Navy ships which have carried and used aircraft since the first aircraft-carrier was built in 1912. Some, such as the Ark Royal, are famous, others far less so, but this book is as complete a record as is possible of all the aircraft-carrying ships of Britain's maritime force, the Royal Navy. Book jacket.