Two-block fox; the rise of the aircraft carrier, 1911-1929 by Charles M. Melhorn

Two-block fox; the rise of the aircraft carrier, 1911-1929 by Charles M. Melhorn is a history of the debates surrounding aircraft carriers in the United States Navy. The book covers two doctrine discussions. The first was whether aircraft would be wheeled or float planes. The second was the utility of the battleship.

I have a particular interest in how doctrine is formulated so I found this particularly interesting. Many of the characters are unfamiliar to me. The only one I really have any experience with was Billy Mitchell. Mitchell comes out in this book like even more of a manipulative weasel than I had thought before. He may have been right in the end but the way he achieved his goals were quite unfortunate.

Recommended!