USS Kidd (DD‑661) By: Robert F. Sumrall (80 pages, many photos, drawings) Reviewer: James Healy Overall Rating:  Four Stars--Highly recommended. An excellent book. While the premise of the book focuses on the USS KIDD (DD‑661) ‑ a wonderful museum ship in Baton Rouge, Louisiana ‑ the author takes advantage of the publication to provide an excellent overview of the Fletcher class destroyer. The compact, rectangular soft cover "manual" contains little known facts about Fletchers ‑ including background (in summary form) on the origins of the class. Not many know that the starboard shaft was 162 feet long versus just 95 ft for the port shaft, or that the single rudder Fletcher had a larger turning circle than the battleship Iowa (a post WW II rudder fix helped). The gun shields were not all the same either. A heavier type was used for mounts 51 and 55 that featured a reinforced roof for greater blast protection from mounts 52 and 54. After reviewing weapons, engineering and detailing all the electronics (none of this is a casual read), the author provides a thorough operational history of the KIDD from the Pacific War, Korea and the Cold War through 1964 when the KIDD was decommissioned. The restoration story that concludes the publication offers clear evidence of the dedication and hard work it takes to save a relic and make it into an important naval artifact for future generations to appreciate. There are plenty of KIDD photos, line drawings and more (how about a photo of the kamikaze pilot who crashed the KIDD). While this reviewer is not a model builder, there appears to be plenty of information to guide those skilled in model building. Retired Chief Petty Officer Robert Sumrall is eminently qualified as an author with previous publications including the Sumner‑Gearing Class Destroyers, USS LAFFEY, USS JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, Jr. and others. He has been the Curator of Ship Models at the U. S. Naval Academy since 1970. One manual can't cover everything (one example‑ the smoke generator system is neglected), but this is an excellent study in just 80 pages and worthy of your bookshelf. Availability: Tin Can Sailors Ship's Store