Preface

A Personal Enterprise

It would not be an exaggeration to say that this book had its beginning in December 1962, when a 12 year old boy woke up bright and early on Christmas morning to find a 2-foot, motorized model of the nuclear aircraft carrier Enterprise, complete with working catapults, under the Christmas tree. High school history class discussions about the exploits of the World War II carrier Enterprise, the weekly voyages of the starship Enterprise of the television series Star Trek, and the test flights of NASA's space shuttle Enterprise all sparked my interest in vessels of the name. But, it wasn't until Star Trek: The Next Generation hit the air waves in September 1987 that I decided to try to find out more about the history of the name Enterprise.

As I researched that history, I quickly found that each of the starships' real-life predecessors had a fascinating story of its own. Their captains were every bit as heroic as Captains Kirk and Picard, and their voyages were every bit as exciting as those of the fictional starships. The history of the real-life ships, aircraft, and spacecraft also provides an interesting and unique look at world history because the voyages carried out by each vessel are reflections of the state of international relations and maritime or aerospace technology at that point in time.

Webster's Dictionary defines enterprise as "an undertaking, especially a big, bold, or difficult one." This definition is fitting because the name Enterprise evokes images of bold and difficult undertakings by daring men and women aboard great ships of sea and space. This is their story: a story of epic voyages of exploration and discovery, of battles fought in defense of freedom, and of more mundane, but equally important, voyages of commerce and trade. It is a story that takes us through 700 years of history and to virtually every corner of the Earth and even beyond the Earth. It is a story of courage, adventure, and ... enterprise.

Acknowledgements

During a period of more than six years of research, I was able to obtain access to records and photographs of many naval and aerospace museums and other related organizations throughout the world. Specifically, I would like to acknowledge the assistance of dedicated historians at the French Musee de la Marine and Service Historique de la Marine; the British National Maritime Museum and Imperial War Museum; the Canadian Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and Maritime Museum of British Columbia; the American U.S. Naval Historical Center, U.S. Naval Institute, Skenesboro Museum, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Confederate Naval Museum, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Air and Space Museum, National Archives, and Library of Congress; the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company; the Rosenfeld Collection of the Mystic (Connecticut) Seaport Museum; and the Enid M. Baa Public Library in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

I also want to acknowledge the input of Philip Atkinson, Jr., a long-time friend whose father was a graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, for reading every one of my many draft manuscripts and providing helpful comments and suggestions; Ruth Briggs, for setting me on the right path toward getting this book published; Andrea Cordani of London, for assisting me in researching the service history of the World War II cruiser HMS Enterprise; Captains Harry Rittenour and Daniel Roper, Commanding Officers of the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65), for taking the time to answer my questions and giving me their comments concerning the historical accuracy of my earliest draft manuscripts; Admiral Richard Truly, for his foreword and for his efforts in helping mankind reach for the final frontier; and last but certainly not least, my wife, Helena, and daughter, Selene, for tolerating the name Enterprise being brought up in almost every conversation with me during the past six years.

The voyages and the history of the Enterprise do not end with this book. The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise will complete a major refit in late-1994 and be ready to sail into the 21st Century as a proud member of the United States Navy. Undoubtedly future vessels of sea, and perhaps of space, will carry the name. And, of course, the starships Enterprise of Star Trek continue to warp across television and movie screens around the world. May the continuing voyages, real and fictional, take the gallant ladies and their courageous crews "... where no one has gone before."

Postscript

What you have just read was the original preface for my own enterprise, which, until now, has remained in drydock -- unpublished and unread by anyone except a few close friends and a good many more publishing company editors who didn't think it was worth publication.

However, I undertook this project, not to become rich and famous, but because of my interest in the subject. I had a story to tell, and I knew there were many Star Trek fans and naval history enthusiasts out there who would be ready to read that story. But I had no way of getting the story out, until now! Through the wonderful technology that is the Internet, the story of the great ladies named Enterprise and their courageous crews can be told! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed putting it together. Please, let me hear from you (pro or con) by emailing me at arnoldvb@islands.vi.

For those of you who have a keen interest in the vessels named Enterprise, I'll soon be able to offer, at minimal cost, an expanded version that includes full-screen JPEGs of the thumbnail GIFs in this special edition, plus: additional photos, color ship drawings and maps, a ship comparison chart, and a ship timeline chart. Email me for details.

Here is a picture of my collection of scale models of the vessels named Enterprise. The centerpiece of the collection is a 3-foot model of the nuclear aircraft carrier (CVN-65).

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Last Updated: January 1, 2003