Reviewed by John Grady David Porter remains one of the most fascinating personalities in the early American Navy. His quickly written, often self-serving but surprisingly candid Journal about his wartime activities in the Pacific set a standard for naval writing that remains informative and clear. It was also highly popular at the time, fanned by
By Will Laidlaw, Pen and Sword, South Yorkshire (2016) Reviewed by Adam Kline Lt. Col. Will Laidlaw, who served as commander of the UK’s 656 attack helicopter squadron during NATO’s 2011 intervention in Libya, personally flew night strike missions in from the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean. From June to August, his unit’s Apache helicopters fired
By Russel M. Lawson, University Press of New England, Lebanon (2015) Reviewed by Warren Riess, Ph.D. This book has the feel of two different works. One is John Smith in the last two decades of his life. The other is a detailed description of his 1614 voyage to North America. Lawson works the two together,
By Christopher Phillips, Oxford University Press, New York, NY (2016) Reviewed by Thomas P. Ostrom University of Cincinnati history professor Christopher Phillips wrote a different assessment of the complex cultural and political factors in the Border States before, during, and after the Civil War of 1861-1865. Phillips challenges historical interpretations that paint the Border States
By Jim Stempel, McFarland and Co., Publishers, Jefferson, NC (2011) Reviewed by Robert P. Largess Writing years after the Civil War, Gideon Welles remarked of William B. Cushing: “…the great chief of the American Navy, Farragut…said to me that while no navy had braver or better officers than ours, young Cushing was the hero of
167 years ago this Labor Day weekend, U.S. Navy Captain John Gwinn died and was buried–for the first time! His third burial came 85 years ago in Arlington National Cemetery, marked by this benign headstone. Who was he and what was the story behind his grave-hopping odyssey? Stay tuned to the Naval Historical Foundation as
By Matthew T. Eng United States Pacific Command Commander Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., USN, joined Naval Historical Foundation Chairman Admiral William J. Fallon, USN (Ret.), and a small group of distinguished guests this past Tuesday for a dedication of a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) display case, including a P-8A Poseidon model, at the National
By Captain George W. Stewart, USN (Ret.) As discussed in the previous post in this series, my detailer informed me in 1971 that my next assignment would be as Officer in Charge of something called a Fleet Introduction Team (FIT) at the Avondale Shipyard where USS Blakely (DE 1072), my previous ship, was built. The
By Matthew Eng If you ever talk to a New York Yankees fan about their team, one of two things will happen. Undoubtedly, they will at first never shut up about how much better the Yankees are than YOUR favorite team (Go Nats). Said fan will then proceed to offer a long diatribe about the
Reviewed by Stephen Phillips Read PART I review HERE Read PART II review HERE Read PART III review HERE Read PART IV review HERE Read PART V review HERE The Smithsonian Channel ‘s Hell Below series provides an important look at World War II submarine warfare in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters with emphasis on actions
Reviewed by Dr. Chuck Steele Read PART I review HERE Read PART II review HERE Read PART III review HERE Read PART IV review HERE Episode five of the Smithsonian Channel’s World War II submarine saga, Hell Below, is the series’ second installment showcasing American efforts during the war in the Pacific. Titled the “Destroyer Killer,” this
EDITORS NOTE: Bikini Atoll remained a nuclear test site long after shot Able and Baker devastated USS Independence. Eight years after the Able and Baker detonations, the United States tested a dry fuel hydrogen bomb, code-named Castle Bravo, on 1 March 1954. Far more powerful than the MARK III bombs use din 1946, Castle Bravo
By John G. Lambert The speed that the Japanese moved their battle flag outward across the curvature of the planet was spectacular as the Empire of Japan settled into vast new ocean area holdings. With the rapidly amassed list of these gains came a growing list of problems to weigh heavily on the balance sheet.
By John G. Lambert As they shaved in their hotel rooms in eager anticipation of the opening day of the “2009 USS Independence Reunion”, the mirrors reflected back faces of shipmates aged by the passage of over 65 years since, as young men, at war in the Pacific, they had crewed the “Mighty-I.” Father time
By George Stewart A major factor in the determination of the feasibility of conversion from the original Cleveland-class cruisers to the Independence-class aircraft carriers was the fact that the propulsion plants could meet the needs of both ship types, without major modifications. The cruisers had a design speed of 32.5 knots while the carriers which
