Though it barely missed being caught and destroyed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the US Navy's USS Enterprise (CV-6) aircraft carrier took part in every major action of the Pacific War, from the Doolittle Raid to the battles of Midway, Santa Cruz, and Guadalcanal to the Philippine Sea and Leyte. Affectionately known as the "Big E," as well as as the "fightingest ship in the Navy," the Enterprise racked up one of the most impressive tallies of damage to the enemy of any Allied warship during WWII. This book explores Enterprise's design and construction, wartime activities, and ultimate postwar decommissioning and scrapping through carefully researched photos, many of which have never before been published. The clarity and large size of many of the photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, put the reader on the deck of this historic warship throughout its famed history.

This is the thrilling story of USS Enterprise (CVN-65), the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Her story spans 51 years (1961-2012) of active service from the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis to the first global cruise by nuclear-powered ships, to the first strikes during the Vietnam War, battles against the Iranians and Iraqis in the 1980s and 1990s, a pivotal role during 9/11 and the Global War on Terrorism, and hunting pirates off the Horn of Africa. More than just an operational history of Enterprise, this book recounts the experiences of the men and women who served on board--the pilots who flew from the flight deck, the men who fought to save the ship during a fire in 1969, the sailors who brought retribution against Al-Qaeda terrorists--with detailed descriptions of sorties through flak-filled skies and harrowing escapes from capture behind enemy lines. This book is dedicated to the men and women who have served on board Big E, and to those who paid the ultimate price for freedom.

This is the epic and heroic story of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and of the courageous men who fought and died on her from Pearl Harbor to the end of the conflict. Acclaimed military historian Barrett Tillman recounts the World War II exploits of America’s most decorated warship and its colorful crews— tales of unmatched daring and heroism.

First published by Random House in 1962. First published by Naval Institute Press, with a new introduction, in 1988.