David Hobbs as a British carrier-history starting point

Is David Hobbs's British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development and Service Histories worth buying?

Yes. It is a solid published overview, accompanied by a joke that an unpublished doctoral thesis is better.

David Hobbs's British Aircraft Carriers is a solid book with no identified reason to avoid it. The recommendation covers design, development and service history in one accessible published volume. A joking preference for an unpublished doctoral thesis does not withdraw the endorsement. For a viewer seeking a purchasable carrier overview, Hobbs remains the practical starting point offered here.