The Midway class aircraft carriers were the largest US Navy aircraft carriers built during World War II. This book, with excellent illustrations, explains how these aircraft carriers became the backbone of the fleet during the Cold War. They entered service in September 1945 and represented the peak design of the World War II era, which would become the main aircraft carriers as the Cold War dawned.

With exceptional design and ample room for significant upgrades over time, the class took part in wars such as the Vietnam War, while the Midway carried out the first carrier air strikes in the Gulf War in 1990. Naval expert Mark Stille explains how the Midway class was the US Navy's attempt to build a larger and more resilient version of the Essex class. The new protection system included the US Navy's first armored flight deck.

It highlights how new weapon systems transformed the Midways during the jet age, from angled decks and catapults to CIWS, until the Midway found its final home as a museum ship in San Diego, the only American aircraft carrier outside the Essex class to be preserved.

Illustrated with archival photos and excellent original art, including profiles that detail how the ships were rebuilt during their careers, this book explores the heart of the US Navy's aircraft carrier fleet during the early days of the Cold War.