Carrier-history books to start with

What books should someone read to learn more about carrier history?

Clark G. Reynolds's The Fast Carriers and Gene Hood's Carrier are recommended, with the latter offering first-hand accounts from early naval aviation through the Second Gulf War.

Clark G. Reynolds's The Fast Carriers offers a focused study of the US fast carrier force. Carrier, edited by Gene Hood, gathers first-hand accounts across a much wider span of naval aviation. The second book begins before the First World War and continues through conflicts as late as the Second Gulf War. One recommendation provides a concentrated operational history, while the other approaches carrier warfare through participant accounts.