The Squadron at Sea titles cover specific ships by using photos of the vessel and its equipment from the very beginning of its life all the way through the end of its career. These titles are written about both civilian and military vessels, while the On Deck series is devoted solely to warships.

The USS Alabama is a South Dakota-class battleship, and construction was begun in February, 1940. The build took over two years until commissioning. Even though the Alabama took part in some of the most famous battles of the Pacific during the war, she only lost five crewman and none to enemy action. After the war, Alabama was mothballed until 1964 when she was moved to her present home in Mobile Bay as a museum.

David Doyle does an excellent job covering this vessel. The photo documentation in this book should be commended. There are photos of the keel laying, launch, commissioning, shakedown cruise, in action, mothballed, and then as a museum. There are also several color drawings and some excellent line drawings.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in US Navy battleships. The book is very well written and makes an excellent reference guide.

I would like to thank Squadron and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this book.