By Joseph A. Williams, Fort Schuyler Press, Bronx, NY (2013) Reviewed by Suzanne Geissler,Suzanne Geissle Ph.D. The State University of New York Maritime College is the oldest maritime college in the United States. A history of this college is long overdue, and Joseph A. Williams has now provided an excellent one. Williams is a librarian
By Cdr. Harold Sacks, USN (Ret.), Park Press, Norfolk, VA. (2013) Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart Cdr. Sacks has written a highly readable book about his service in the United States Navy from 1952 to 1972. He spent most of his service in the Navy on a destroyer or serving in the intelligence community. While
By Maureen Smith Keillor and AMEC (AW/SW) Richard P. Keillor, MTS, Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC (2014) Review by Jason McHale The Images of Aviation series commemorates the history of flight through pictures. More than eighty books comprise this series focusing on the early experiments, famous airfields, various aircraft and other aspects of aviation history. Images
By Richard V. Porcelli, Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, South Carolina, (2012) Reviewed by John Galluzzo Authors choosing to work with Arcadia Publishing set themselves up with a challenge. With strict word counts accompanying each image size (small and large portraits and landscapes, and double page spreads), brevity becomes more than an issue, it becomes a ritual.
By Jan K. Herman, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2013) Reviewed by Nathan D. Wells The role that the United States Navy played in the Vietnam Conflict is well known, especially with regard to the beginning and escalation of the conflict. The role played by the US Navy in the war’s final days is less
By Ed Engle, Xlibris, Bloomington, IL (2013). Reviewed by Jan Churchill Edward C. Engle’s memoir offers a personal account of naval bombing operations and its dangers. Engle is a retired naval flight officer with engineering degrees from both Johns Hopkins University and the Naval Postgraduate School. After completing his education, Engle went to work for
By Rodney K. Watterson, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2014) Reviewed by Louis Arthur Norton, Ph.D. Casual readers of maritime history might be reluctant to pick up a book entitled Whips to Walls that features a photo of a grim castle-like prison on its cover. If so, they would be missing out. Captain Rodney Watterson
Naval Historical Foundation Executive Director Captain Todd Creekman, USN (Ret.) attended the opening of a new exhibit at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan last Monday. The exhibit, called “Taking the Seas: Rise of the American Aircraft Carrier,” discusses the history of aircraft carriers from their development during World War I
Most people in the United States (especially the East Coast) know that the Atlantic Hurricane Season lasts from the beginning of June until the end of November. During those six months, we anxiously watch our television screens as each successive storm passes to the United States, some reaching from the African coast to the reaches
A few days ago, we asked our FACEBOOK fans what their favorite port of call was while in the Navy. Summer is here, and the wanderlust for vacation is heavy. We got a few responses, but are still looking for more! If you have a favorite, comment here or go on our Facebook page and let us
By George Stewart (This is the third in a series of blog posts covering the various operations conducted in Maine during WWII. To read Parts I and II of George Stewart’s blog series about Casco Bay during WWII, go HERE and HERE. To read all other post by George, go HERE.) PART III By 1943,
By Steve Sheinkin, Roaring Book Press, New York, NY (2014) Review by: Aldona Sendzikas, Ph.D. How do you explain racism to teenagers—specifically, the existence of institutionalized racism and segregation in the U.S. Navy during most of its history? This is author Steve Sheinkin’s challenge in this book for young adults about the massive explosion that
By Captain George Duffy, Xlibris Corp., Bloomington (2008) Reviewed by Captain J.A. Peschka, Jr. If you still get excited and riveted to your chair when you read a good sea story, then Ambushed under the Southern Cross is for you. This is not a history book written in academic prose with precise references and intellectual
By Lincoln Paine, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY (2013) Reviewed by Sam Craghead This book could easily be titled, “The Greatest Sea Story Ever Told.” The subtitle proffers the scope of the work, which Lincoln Paine delivers in grand style. With 599 pages of text, 48 pages of bibliography, 17 maps, 26 pages of
By Mark Lardas, Arcadia Publishing, Mt. Pleasant, SC (2013) Reviewed by Terry Miller Mark Lardas takes the reader through the history of the Port of Houston from its earliest days in the new Republic of Texas in 1836 to the present day. The 128-page book is more than half filled with photos, which adds to
