Alaska Class Cruisers Book Review
By Stephen Sutton
| Date of Review | November 2015 | Title | Alaska Class Cruisers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Steve Wiper | Publisher | Classic Warships Publishing |
| Published | 2015 | ISBN | 978-0-9857149-8-7 |
| Format | 72 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $18.00 |
Review
Classic Warships has produced the 43rd in a series of warship pictorial books keeping with the naval sea power theme. Steve Wiper provides a photographic history of the cruisers of the Alaska class, of which three were laid down, but only two, USS Alaska CB-1 & USS Guam CB-2 were completed. Many have thought of these warships as battlecruisers, but the US Navy classified them as 'Large Cruisers'. Their completion late in the Second World War, only allowed them to see action for the last few months of the war, then they were soon retired. Contains photos of the two ships completed, as well as photos of the third incomplete vessel of the class, CB-3 Hawaii. A brief general history on these cruisers is provided, as well as informative captions about “Dazzle Pattern” camouflage and the “Measure 22 or Graded” patterns and colors as well as close-up details seen in each photograph and statistical data. This book is illustrated with 71 black & white photos and 6 color photos. A must for any naval library.
Thanks goes out to Steve Wiper of classicwarships.com for the review sample!