How to Build an Aircraft Carrier: The Incredible Story of the Men and Women Who Brought Britain’s Biggest Warship to Life

"Books on the modern Royal Navy are relatively few and far between. Chris Terrill is an anthropologist and well known for his excellent television series on life in the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines. This book is based on one of these series, set on board the HMS Queen Elizabeth, and it is very effective in using the crew’s conversations to deliver information about the ship, its construction and its operations in a way that is both easy to read and informative. I have included the book within my five not only because it is a great read, but because it is very topical. The UK’s only two aircraft carriers are under constant scrutiny from their detractors and the press. The cost of their construction being one example. Terrill writes: … the eventual bill of £6 billion for the two vessels, though nearly double the original estimate, is still modest compared to the eye watering $15 billion price tag (not including the nuclear power plant) of USS George H. W. Bush, an American supercarrier of similar proportions. New efficiencies in design and the running of the ship are clearly described in an informative way throughout the book. What is an aircraft carrier without aircraft? This was the case when the Queen Elizabeth was launched, neither the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) nor the Royal Air Force (RAF) had a jet aircraft capable of operating from the new carriers. The F35B Lightning aircraft is now in operation with both air arms, but not in the numbers to provide the ships with a full complement of aircraft. However, this is where the interoperability of these ships provides an international aspect to their operations. Earlier in the year, American F35’s deployed aboard the Prince of Wales, joining their British counterparts in joint exercises. Further international co-operation came recently with the Prince of Wales involved in the NATO ‘Steadfast Defender’ exercise alongside of ships of the navies of Spain, France, Germany and Norway. International staff serve in the crews of British warships today, as they did in the days of sail described in Jack Tar . In 1803, Robert Hay joined a warship and was astonished at the number of nationalities aboard: “To the ear was addressed a hubbub little short of that which occurred at Babel. Irish, Welsh, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Swedish, Italian and all the provincial dialects between Land’s End and John O’Groats, joined their discordant notes.” Terrill focuses on one of the cooks aboard the carrier, Leading Chef Waseel Mohamad Khan, a devout Muslim who originates from Kenya. With modern methods of preserving and preparing foods aboard it is possible to cater for the different tastes and nationalities of a crew 1,000 to 1,600 strong. There are many different dietary requirements too, such as the very high protein diet (7,000 calories per day!) of the super-fit Royal Marine Commandos. A far cry from hard biscuits and thin soups cooked on a wooden warship’s range."