“We’ve come a long way since FIDO.” In the years since the first Submarine History Seminar was held at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History during the Submarine Force Centennial in 2010, enthusiasts of undersea warfare have learned a great deal about the history and memory of the submarine service. Everything from the legacy
The Unseen War: Allied Air Power and the Takedown of Saddam Hussein By Benjamin S. Lambeth, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2013) Reviewed by John T. Kuehn, Ph.D. Ben Lambeth of the RAND Corporation is one of the premier historians of operational air power. His account of the air campaign that supported the overthrow of
You Cannot Surge Trust: Combined Naval Operations of the Royal Australian Navy, Canadian Navy, Royal Navy, and United States Navy, 1991-2003 Edited by Gary Weir and Sandra Doyle, Naval History & Heritage Command, Washington, DC. (2013) Reviewed by Corbin Williamson This impetus for this remarkable work began in 2003 when historians at the (then) Naval
Murph: The Protector: The True Story Of Navy Seal Lt. Michael P. Murphy Video produced by Scott Mactavish, Mactavish Pictures New York, NY. (2013). Reviewed by Nathan Albright It is altogether fitting that Murph: The Protector should be seen in tandem with the big-budget film Lone Survivor. Murph is based on the book by Lt.
At the Crossroads Between Peace and War: The London Naval Conference of 1930 By John H. Maurer and Christopher M. Bell, Eds., Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD. (2014) Reviewed by Joseph Moretz The naval conference that met in London from January to April 1930 is instructive to the modern observer for the light it shines
Race to the Top of the World: Richard Byrd and the First Flight to the North Pole By Sheldon Bart, Regnery History, Washington, DC (2013) Reviewed by Ingo Heidbrink, Ph.D. Race to the Top of the World, by Sheldon Bart, not only opens again the question if Richard E. Byrd reached the North Pole on
Captain Bulloch: The Life of James Dunwoody Bulloch, Naval Agent of the Confederacy By Stephen Chapin Kinnaman, Dog Ear Publishing, Indianapolis, IN. (2013) Reviewed by Mark Lardas James Dunwoody Bulloch is best known as the man behind the Civil War’s Confederate raiders. He organized the construction and outfitting of Florida, Alabama, and Stonewall, among others.
Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, Vol. 1 By Arthur Marder, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD. (2013) (reprint) Reviewed by Winn Price Of the first of five volumes that compose Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, this review addresses Volume I, titled “the Road to War 1904-1914.” These books, which address the naval affairs in World War I, were
American Sniper: Memorial Edition By Chris Kyle, with Jim Defelice and Scott McEwen, William Morrow, New York, NY, (2013) Reviewed by Stephen Phillips The war on terrorism will be the source of many memoirs. All of them will undoubtedly provide valuable and important insight. Historians and military enthusiasts will always particularly enjoy books that are
Gun Bay: A Tale of Shipwreck on Grand Cayman — An Edward Ballantyne Novel By William H. White, Sea Fiction Press, Red Bank, NJ. (2013) Reviewed by Capt. Roger Jones, USN (Ret.) Gun Bay is a sea-going novel that incorporates the historic and powerful Caribbean hurricanes of October 1793 and January 1794. These caused significant
By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the 26th a series of blogs by Norman Polmar—author, analyst, and consultant specializing in the naval, aviation, and intelligence fields. Follow the full series here.) Being a “character” is a very positive description of a person. To me, a character is one who thinks for himself or herself,
By George Stewart This paper was originally intended to be a follow on my experiences as an engineer aboard commercial tankers. The original intent was to provide a description of World War II-built turboelectric Destroyer Escorts and to illustrate the commonality they shared with commercial T-2 Tanker power plants. In the process of preparing this
“With rare exceptions Alfred disapproves of everything he sees when on shore leave, although he does not object to others enjoying themselves.” The Naval Historical Foundation received a few “rare editions” from a box of donated books last month. Included in the list of usual naval history titles were two compendiums of World War II-era
The 2013 winter storm is one of the most interesting weather anomalies in recent memory. Most Americans are by now familiar with terms like “polar vortex” and “snow squalls.” Winter Storm Titan is currently wreaking havoc on the mid-Atlantic state causing thousands of flight delays and closures. This current is not, however, the only time
By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the 25th in a series of blogs by Norman Polmar—author, analyst, and consultant specializing in the naval, aviation, and intelligence fields. Follow the full series here.) During the summer of 1965, when I was assistant editor of the Naval Institute Proceedings, a young man came into my Annapolis
