Admiral John S. McCain and the Triumph of Naval Ai

"This is a solid, serious, significant book about an important albeit imperfect WWII admiral, and —more that that —an intense history of the carrier operations he commanded." —Stone & Stone Second World War Books

“In William F. Trimble's new biography, Admiral John S. McCain: And the Triumph of Naval Air Power, we get a fascinating history of the rise of carrier-based aviation during World War II through the life of the McCain patriarch, warts and all.” Navy Reads “Rarely does a naval officer influence directly and indirectly the conduct of major war. This fine biography shows how McCain influenced US Navy air power in a personnel role and then as a Carrier Task Force commander in the Pacific. Most Highly Recommended.” —FIRE Reviews

“William Trimble earns a snappy salute for this excellent biography of a figure who played a key role in the triumph of U.S. naval air power…. Trimble shines with his wide-ranging research in primary and key secondary sources and with his even hand on both McCain’s achievements and his failures.” —Naval History

“This book has a broad focus but is full of finely-researched details which are especially relevant to the way in which the Pacific War was fought by the USA and its Commonwealth allies…. I thoroughly recommend it to historians, naval professionals and even those who take an interest in how a great man led his life in the Navy.” —The Australian Naval Institute

“This is an important book, about an Admiral and family Australia may wish to consider as one of their own. Professor Trimble tells the story well, thank you.” —The NAVY

“The author does an excellent job in showing the connectivity of McCain’s wartime service as an administrator and as a warrior. The book is both a biographical account of a naval hero but also a look at competent leadership during a time of crisis.” —The Journal of America’s Military Past

“Taking a multidimensional approach, professor Trimble weaves together the narrative of McCain’s career with the history of a liminal moment in the Navy’s development as an institution, in the ascendency of naval aviation, and in the navy’s evolution from a battleship-centered force to the modern ‘air’ Navy. Professor Trimble’s richly detailed biography goes a long way toward filling in the fine grained details of this story.” —New Books Network

“Admiral John S. McCain and the Triumph of Naval Air Power is good book for anyone with an interest in the Pacific War or carrier aviation.” —StrategyPage

“Dr. Trimble’s book will serve as a rich reward for the serious scholar of aviation history and any reader in search of a greater understanding of naval aviation’s important contributions to Allied victory in the Pacific.” —Air & Space Power Journal

“Admiral John S. McCain and the Triumph of Naval Air Power gives a very good insight into the course of the war in the Pacific and deepens it through the special consideration of the role of the naval forces.” —Truppendienst

“This is a story about John S. McCain and the advancement—and eventual triumph—of naval aviation against Japan…. It’s a well-written text, filled with wonderful pictures and useful maps.” —Military Review

“This is an excellent, well-written book, making extensive use of primary sources and presenting sound judgments.” —War in History