This acclaimed sequel to the Peattie/Evans prize-winning work, "Kaigun", illuminates the rise of Japanese naval aviation from its genesis in 1909 to its thunderbolt capability on the eve of the Pacific War. In the process of explaining the navy's essential strengths and weaknesses, the book provides the most detailed account available in English of Japan's naval air campaign over China from 1937 to 1941. A final chapter analyzes the utter destruction of Japanese naval air power by 1944. Peattie traces the development of the Imperial Navy's land-based air power as well as the evolution of its carrier forces. He also treats the salient aspects of Japan's naval air service: training, personnel, tactics, doctrine, technology, and industrial base. In doing so, Peattie combines data found in previous handbooks with important new information derived from Japanese-language sources. The book includes extensive appendices, detailed drawings and data on Japanese carriers and naval aircraft, and information on Japanese naval air bases and land-based air groups as of 7 December 1941.