ModelWarships.com - Legends of Warfare USS Yorktown CV-5 by David Doyle

USS Yorktown (CV-5)
Legends of Warfare - Naval by David Doyle

Reviewed April 2017
by Sean Hert

David Doyle has a new ship book coming out, and with a new publisher: Schiffer Books. This is the first in a new line of books called "Legends of Warfare - Naval" (There is also an accompaning "Ground" series starting). The first volume is the story of the USS Yorktown, CV-5.

At 112 pages with over 180 photos, this hardbound book tells the story of USS Yorktown CV-5, the US Navy's first battle-worthy, purpose-built aircraft carrier. (If the reader takes issue with this statement, I encourage them to get and read the book). Mr. Doyle covers Yorktown's career, from laying down, Neutrality Patrols during 1941 in the Atlantic, the transfer to the Pacific Theater after Pearl Harbor and her loss 7 JUN 42 at the Battle of Midway Island.



Scans are reduced quality.

As usual, the book is filled with mostly black and white photos from a variety of sources with a mix of newly uncovered images and onces seen before. Most of the images are quite clear in reproduction, and the details respond well to magnification. There is a set of line drawings from the inimitable AD Baker with are a pleasure to look at.

Some of the wartime "action" shots, are not a crisp at the dockyard photos, but this is a common problem to the era- but information can be gleaned from even a poor photo, where nothing can be gleamed from no photo.

CONCLUSIONS

Like many of David Doyle's works, his books are short on prose, long on photos, with quite meaty captions; in fact, the "story" in his books is often told through the captions. If you don't normally read the captions and only examine the images, I'd encourge you to start doing so with these books- you're really missing out.

Legends of Warfare (Naval), USS Yorktown CV-5 is another great book by David Doyle. The high quality of the hardbound edition is encouraging for future installments in Schiffer's new series. The book is available at a pre-order discount of $17.99 (includes delivery to US addresses) direct from the author at DavidDoylebooks.com during the month of April, 2017.