On November 11, 1940, 21 slow, canvas-covered British warplanes, launched from the carrier Illustrious, attacked the harbor at the Italian port of Taranto and put most of the Italian navy out of commission. This all-but-forgotten operation, the authors argue, deserves historical recognition as an inspirational precedent for the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor 13 months later. Taranto demonstrated that battleships in a shallow, heavily defended harbor could be sunk by a handful of torpedo-bombers. That lesson Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, commander-in-chief of the Japanese fleet, learned well-while the American military virtually ignored it. “By this single stroke the balance of naval power in the Mediterranean was decisively altered.” –Winston S. Churchill "...immenesly readable, compelling and convincing account." From FLY NAVY, the publication of the Fleet Air Arm Officers Association. "This is a very well written book by two well-qualified authors in possesion of the facts." THE GLOBE & LAUREL. A great joy in my life was meeting and working with the late John Wellham, a true hero of the Second World War. In his canvas-covered Fairey Swordfish biplane he help sink two Italian submarines and several battleships. His collaboration gave the the book a true "You are there" flavor, because he really was there! To attempt a British description, John was "a splendid chap," and I am honored to have known him. I was never a pilot (a few hours as a student glider pilot hardly count) but my fascination with military aircraft goes way back. At age 12, I teamed with my grandmother as a plane spotter. She was qualified to telephone in reports, but knew nothing or airplanes. I was an avid "spotter." She called in my reports. Worked perfectly. Years later, I was drafted into the US Air Force and sent to Lackland AFB, a base that had NO airplanes. Used Book in Good Condition