It’s no secret that everybody loves dogs. A recent post on our Facebook site led us to discover the interesting story behind a rare ship’s mascot aboard USS Stephen W. Groves on her final deployment. By Matthew T. Eng You can’t deny that we like to keep things on a tight schedule. Each Tuesday,
By Edward J. Marolda, Naval History & Heritage Command, Washington, DC (2012) Reviewed by Paul W. Murphey, Ph.D., CDR, CHC, USN (Retired) Ready Seapower is an attractive book. Its coffee table format and design make it appealing for guests to flip through and comment on. The large selection of well-chosen pictures and illustrations fit well
By Olaf T. Engvig, Themo Publishing, Los Angeles, CA (2013) Reviewed by Mark Lardas Norway has a long maritime tradition. While it is still among the world’s major shipping nations, it used sailing vessels much later than the rest of the world. Regardless, much of its recent maritime heritage is largely unknown outside Norway. Part
By David Igler, Oxford University Press, New York, NY (2013) Reviewed by Nathan D. Wells Professor David Igler recently won the North American Society for Oceanic History John Lyman Book award for the category of U.S. Maritime History, and rightly so. The Great Ocean is a tale of the interaction between different Pacific cultures from
Edited By Carnes Lord and Andrew S. Erickson, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2014) Reviewed by Nathan Albright For those readers who have an interest in reading the plans of the U.S. Navy in addressing the complicated concerns of logistics, tactical and strategic concerns, and funding issues for operations in the Asia-Pacific region, as well
Edited by Mark Tanner, Self Published, (2013) Reviewed by Capt. Winn Price, USNR (Ret.) In 1911, 13 year-old Philip M. de Carteret received an appointment to the Royal Naval College in Osborne. His letters form the second of nine volumes, each compiling the letters of nine servicemen with two characteristics in common. All served during
By Marc Liebman, Fireship Press Tucson, (2014) Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart This is the second book in the author’s Lt. Josh Haman USN series. The first book, Big Mother 40, was set in Vietnam. In that book, Lt. Haman was a USN helicopter pilot. Lt Haman is once again the central character in Render
By Matthew Taylor Raffety, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL (2013) Review by Sam Craghead With the rise of the American merchant fleet to a position rivaling that of Great Britain, the lives of American seamen (from the end of the American evolution to the beginning of the Civil War) sparks great topical interest.
By Jerry Roberts, Wesleyan University Press, Middletown, CT (2014) Reviewed by David Curtis Skaggs, Ph.D, COL USAR (Ret.) On the night of April 7, 1814, Cmdr. Richard Coote and a party of 136 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines began a raid over the bar at the mouth of the Connecticut River and rowed up
By Alan Rems, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2014) Reviewed by John R. Satterfield, DBA Although an amateur historian, author Rems has produced a very professional volume. His book is the only recent one-volume account of World War II’s Southwest Pacific Theater that treats its numerous campaigns, both comprehensively and chronologically. This is valuable for
By A. Jay Cristol, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2013) Reviewed by Stephen Phillips On June 8, 1967, Israeli air and naval forces engaged in the Arab-Israeli Six Day War attacked USS Liberty (AGTR 5), killing 34 and wounding 171 Americans. The incident immediately caused a conflagration of controversy. Most accusations assert premeditation. Some suggest
The Naval Historical Foundation lost a good friend and dedicated member last week. Victor Delano, U.S. Navy Captain (retired) and Pearl Harbor survivor, died on Monday, August 25th, at Casey House in Rockville, Maryland. Delano was 94 years old. Delano was born into a family legacy of Navy Veterans. His father, Captain Harvey Delano, was
It is incredibly difficult to go “full speed ahead” without a ship to sail. If it was not for the skilled hands that crafted the 8-inch barrels, Captain Charles Gridley could not fire Olympia’s guns at Manila Bay. Do sailors alone win the great victories and triumphs of our naval history? Without the help of
“This is Blackbeard on board Newport News with a shore bombardment force in Haiphong Harbor. We are engaged with several enemy surface units and need illumination to sort things out. Any aircraft in the area give me a call on guard. What we really need are high-powered flares. Blackbeard out.”
By Matthew T. Eng Not many veterans can say they are paid out their Navy pension in fish. It was a perfect Sunday to go to the Smithsonian National Zoo. After a wet and rainy Saturday this weekend, I was relieved that I would not disappoint my group of out-of-town friends who, among other things
