By Norman Polmar and Edward Whitman, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2015) Reviewed by Robert P. Largess In a page-long “Perspective” prefacing this unusual book, the authors express the reason for its writing: “Since the early decades of the last century, several hundred non-fiction books have been written about submarines and submarine warfare.” This substantial
By Michael Sturma, Annapolis, MD, Naval Institute Press (2015) Reviewed by Charles Bogart This book is a joy to read. The author, using a variety of primary sources, has compiled a social and administrative history of the U.S. Navy’s World War II submarine base at Fremantle, Australia. With the loss in December 1941 of the
By Deborah Lake, Pen and Sword Military, Barnsley, UK (2015) Reviewed by Joseph Moretz, Ph.D. In a struggle of global proportions, minor acts at times achieve a resonance not measured by the ledger of gains and losses or the scale of their actual decisiveness. The Arab Revolt during the First World War may be cited
Edited by Thomas J. Cutler, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2015) Reviewed by Michael F. Solecki In 1839, the federal government established the first formal non-private naval school in Philadelphia called the “Naval Asylum,” a somewhat daunting name by today’s grammatical vernacular. The school, the actual forerunner of the U.S. Naval Academy, was an academic
By J. Barto Arnold III and Robert W. Glover, Denbigh Shipwreck Project Publication, Institute of Nautical Archaeology, College Station, TX (2015) Reviewed by Mark Lardas In May 1865, a month after Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia, the blockade runner Denbigh ran aground attempting to enter Galveston Harbor, and was subsequently destroyed by Union
By Claude Berube, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2015) Reviewed by Nathan Albright Claude Berube wrote this fictional novel as a reward to students of naval history. Many of the elegant touches, including the name of the ship, spring from the author’s own vivid experience within the United States Navy, where he is currently an
By Paul Wood, Woods Maritime, Kamuela, HI (2015) Reviewed by Charles Bogart Paul Wood has written an excellent biographical account of naval architect Melbourne Smith who is the President of the International Historical Watercraft Society, and serves as Advisory Board Chairman for the National Maritime Historical Society and trustee of the American Ship Trust. Born
By Erik Jurgen-Karl Dietrich, Self-Published (2015) Reviewed by Charles Bogart This self-published autobiography tells the story of Erik Jurgen-Karl Districh who was born in Germany in 1940. After the war, he lived in England until 1957, when he immigrated to the United States at age 17. After arriving in the United States, the author served
By David F. Winkler, Ph.D. NHF Staff The video of a Russian Sukhoi SU-24 attack jet making close passes near the destroyer USS Donald Cook on April 12 in the Baltic brought back recollections from the early Cold War when such bravado demonstrations were frequently conducted by the naval air forces of both super power
CHOW is a new blog and video series exploring the history behind U.S. Navy culinary traditions. By Matthew T. Eng Let’s face it: if you’ve served in the Navy during the twentieth century, chances are you’ve eaten sh*t. “Sh*t on a Shingle,” or creamed chipped beef on toast (S.O.S.), that is. The term derives from
“I don’t give a damn whether it is a ballistic missile or an air breathing missile, or both, so long as it will go about 1500 miles and hit the target with a warhead capable of doing the job.” Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, USN, Chief of Naval Operations to Henry H. Porter, Applied Physics Laboratory,
Members and friends of NHF came together for an evening to celebrate the accomplishments of the Foundation over nine decades and to honor its celebrated leaders. By Matthew T. Eng It all began with a number: 7. It was these seven notable Navy civilian and military leaders who signed the certificate of incorporation ninety years
This was originally posted in the July 2008 issue of the USCS Log, the award-winning philatelic journal of the Universal Ship Cancellation Society (USCS). USCS is an international society that collects naval postal history. (Author’s note: This is a story of tragedy and loss. It is told in narrative form, the events are factual except
“It’s not every day you build a battleship.” – Sam Heed, Director of Education and Senior Historian, Kalmar Nyckel Foundation By Matthew T. Eng It is always refreshing to see childhood imagination pop up in the most unlikely of places. Whether in the main stream or off the beaten path, a child’s growing mind will
By Megan Churchwell Museum Curator Puget Sound Navy Museum The Puget Sound Navy Museum in Bremerton, Washington is excited to announce the opening of a new exhibit on March 4th. “When Baseball Went to War” explores the history of U.S. Navy baseball from its earliest years through World War II. Baseball was among the earliest
