Fifty years ago, the world held it’s breath. When Navy reconnaissance jets and U-2 spy planes confirmed the existence of Soviet nuclear missile bases under construction in Cuba, the United States demanded their removal and instituted a naval quarantine of the island. The 13 days at the end of October 1962 came to be called
We’re fast approaching the end of 2012, which means that a new season of Combined Federal Campaign giving is upon us. The Naval Historical Foundation is one of the approved charities registered for donations by Federal employees through the Combined Federal Campaign! The Naval Historical Foundation’s mission covers three important aspects of naval history: Preservation,
The Naval Historical Foundation, the Association of Naval Aviation, and the Marine Corps Aviation Association recently had the opportunity to commemorate the service and sacrifice of a World War II Marine Corps aviator, and honor the families who were directly affected by his death nearly 70 years ago. A solemn ceremony was held on 6
By Mark Lardas. Osprey Publishing, Long Island City, NY. (2012). Reviewed by Charles Bogart This is another well-crafted Osprey book. The author has combined text and illustrations to tell a well-rounded story of the naval action that took place in the North Sea off Flamborough Head on September 23, 1779. While most Americans know this
By James A. Treadway, Thomas F. Marfiak, with contributors, iUniverse, Inc., New York, Lincoln, Shanghai (2005). Reviewed by Michael F. Solecki. USS Biddle (DLG later CG 34) had a colorful and illustrious career. The last of nine Belknap- class cruisers, she was the fourth U.S. warship to carry the name. She was delivered to the
By George Chambers, Authorhouse, Bloomington, IN (2004). Reviewed by Jim Bussert If anyone has ever wanted to get the experience of serving on destroyers for twenty years, Senior Chief Fire Control Technician George Chambers has provided the answer. His love of destroyers is evident in his descriptions and table of different classes from pre-World War
By Elliot Carlson, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2011). Reviewed by Capt. John A. Rodgaard USN (Ret.) Joe Rochefort is a legend to all United States Navy intelligence professionals and Elliot Carlson’s outstanding biography finally introduces the man behind the legend. The author also lifts the veil of mythology and mystery that has surrounded the
Introduced by J. E. Harrold , University of Plymouth Press, Farnham, UK, (2012). Reviewed by Joseph Moretz. Ph.D. Dark Seas is a reprint of a British Admiralty Battle Summary monograph originally published in 1950 intended for the private use of serving officers (B.R. 1736(35) The Battle of Cape Matapan). As a summary, it eschewed any
By Keith A. Herkalo,. History Press. Charleston, S.C (2012) Reviewed by David Curtis Skaggs, Ph.D. Of all largely ignored major military operations in what is often called America’s “forgotten war,” the Lake Champlain campaign of 1814 ranks in first place. Self-styled “amateur historian” Keith Herkalo brings enthusiasm and diligence to another inquiry into the battles
By Sam Ginder, Red Lead Press, Paperback, 339 pages Reviewed by Vice Adm. Robert F. Dunn, USN, (Ret.) What a terrific escape from the routine and mundane is this book! A sitting United States Senator hires a hard-hitting former Navy SEAL to track down the Senator’s missing daughter, a beautiful and charming twenty-something. At a
By Mir Bahmanyar with Chris Osman, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, UK (2008), 256 pp Reviewed by Captain Roger F. Jones, USN. (Ret.) SEALs bills itself as the ultimate book about how Navy SEALs train and fight, and it is certainly the most comprehensive and interesting one on this topic that this reviewer has ever read. Written
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis. During that dramatic confrontation, ships and aircraft of the U.S. Navy formed a blockade around the island of Cuba, to put a stop to Soviet efforts to build an offensive nuclear force on that island nation (watch a video about the Crisis here). One
In October 2012, the Cold War Gallery at the Washington Navy Yard, part of the National Museum of the United States Navy, will open to the public. The Gallery has been in development since 2003 and features a number of impressive exhibits, as well as a large collection of ship and aircraft models. The facility
June 12-16, 2013, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland Submission Guidelines: Call for Papers Opens: July 1, 2012 Online Call for Papers Available: July 1, 2012 Final Submission Deadline: February 1, 2013 Conference Theme: The Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, the United States Naval Academy, and the United States Navy’s Naval History and Heritage
Edited by Nicholas Schlosser and James M. Caiella, Marine Corps University Press, Quantico, VA (2011) 204 pp. Reviewed by Captain Roger F. Jones, USN (Ret.) Schlosser and Caiella have assembled and edited a series of presentations at a Marine Corps University symposium in 2009, which carried the same title as this book. While the focus
