By Robert Forsyth, Osprey Publishing, UK (2017) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter Mersky USNR (Ret.) Most readers probably think that by 1943 the U-Boat threat was over. But, it wasn’t. After the so-called Battle of the Atlantic 1940-1942, which pitted German submarines and their crews against the lightly defended Allied convoys, often with disastrous results for
By Istvan Toperczer, Osprey Publishing, Ltd. UK (2017) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter Mersky USNR (Ret.) When the Soviet Union’s MiG-21 appeared in the early 1960s, very little was known about it, which was typical of most new designs from the USSR. Grainy, out-of-focus photos taken at parades and aerial displays did little to add to
By Seth Cropsey, Encounter Books, New York, NY (2017) Reviewed by John Grady Seth Cropsey’s latest book is an excellent primer on the state of today’s weakened American naval forces and some ways that he thinks can right them now and strengthen them in the longer run to meet the future changing challenges from Moscow,
Edited by Pamela Ackerson. Self-published, (2016) Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart This self-published monograph was compiled by Ms. Ackerson to preserve the family history of Aviation Chief Radioman Henry Lawrence’s service in World War II. The audience at which the book is directed is family and friends. Henry Lawrence, in June 1940 at the age
By William J. Brown. Self-Published (2017) Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart This book was written by the son-in-law of Emil Rezek who, in 1917 at the age of 18, joined the U.S. Navy. Not finding the Navy to his liking, Emil left his ship, changed into civilian clothes and joined the U.S. Army. In August
By Lawrence Goldstone, Pegasus Books Ltd., New York, NY (2017) Reviewed by Louis Arthur Norton Lawrence Goldstone’s Going Deep is a complex tale of competitive inventiveness, ruthless commercial subterfuge, naval dithering, governmental corruption, foreign intrigue and occasional shenanigans. The author opens the book with the stunning wartime success of the German U-9 (Unterseeboot 9), an
By Jane B. Donovan, New Room Books, Nashville, TN (2017) Reviewed by Suzanne Geissler, Ph.D. Henry Foxall (1758-1823) was a transplanted Englishman, a devout Methodist, and an industrialist who could rightly be considered America’s first defense contractor. This is the first biography of Foxall and is long overdue considering the significant role he played, not
Edited by John Andreas Olsen, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2017) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter Mersky, USNR (Ret.) This proved to be one of the most difficult book I have reviewed over the years. It is not the usual historical survey of war, or of a nation’s air force in a war or period. No
By John Dibbs and Kent Ramsey, Osprey Publishing, UK (2017) Reviewed by Cdr. Peter Mersky, USNR (Ret.) This new coffee-table-size book is the result of an ambitious project. The end product is a collection of many excellent photographs, a few of which are fairly well known, but for the most part are new and are
By Nicholas Jellicoe, Seaforth, South Yorkshire, UK (2016) Reviewed by Stephen Phillips, USNR (Ret.) In the second decade of this century, many in the United States commemorated the War of 1812. Similarly, many in the United Kingdom are seeking to understand the First World War. Author Nicholas Jellicoe, the grandson of the First Lord of
By Adm. James Stavridis, USN (Ret.), Penguin Press, New York (2017) Reviewed by John R. Satterfield, DBA Sea Power: The History and Geopolitics of the World’s Oceans is a companion to The Accidental Admiral, Admiral Stavridis’ earlier best seller that provided many Americans with a basic education in national and global security. Stavridis, the first
By Jan Rüger. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK (2017) Reviewed by Alan M. Anderson, Ph.D. Heligoland rises abruptly and unexpectedly in the southeastern corner of the North Sea. Featuring dramatic cliffs rising more than 160 feet, it is a small, triangular island less than four-tenths of a square mile in area. Along with the nearby
By Ronald J. Drez, Pelican Press, New York, NY (2017) Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb, Ph.D. In my assessment of Attack on Pearl Harbor: Strategy, Combat, Myths, Deceptions (Alan D. Zimm, Philadelphia and Oxford: Casemate Publishers, 2014), I pointed out that “WorldCat (an international library catalog) listed 18,353 publications and other media on the Japanese
On the evening of 13 September 2017, Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer spoke to U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and civilian industry leaders at a welcome aboard reception held at the National Museum of the United States Navy. The Naval Historical Foundation coordinated the event. Secretary Spencer highlighted three priorities for the Navy
By Matthew T. Eng, NHF Digital Content Developer Why do you study naval history? If you are reading this, I can only assume you have at least a passing interest in the field. Perhaps you are a budding historian in undergraduate or graduate school or an enthusiastic veteran. Simply put, you might just like naval history.
