Reviewed by Ed Calouro A long evolutionary arc traces the design and development of metal battleships. It generally dates to the Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862 between the ironclads USS Monitor and the CSS Merrimack (Virginia). Surely, the behemoth super dreadnoughts of the Yamato-class sit at the apogee of this arc. At 63,315 tons
Reviewed by Mr. Charles Bogart Philippe Caresse is a former French naval officer and author of two books on French warships of the World War I, both of which were published by the Naval Institute Press. The book under review, Battleships of the Iowa Class, can be enjoyed both as a coffee table book and
By Matthew T. Eng Battleship guns helped win the Second World War. What about the race to the moon? Bob Fish, author and USS Hornet Museum trustee, recently visited NASA’s AMES Research Center in Sunnyvale, CA, to investigate the possibility of cooperation and collaboration of STEM-related programming. While there, Bob visited the Hypervelocity Flight Test Facility
By Robert J. Winklareth, Casemate Publishers, Philadelphia, PA. (2012). Reviewed by Richard P. Hallion, Ph.D The fateful encounter between the Bismarck, Prinz Eugen, Hood, and Prince of Wales at 0600 on the morning of 24 May 1941 midway between Iceland and Greenland has drawn the attention of numerous authors and analysts. It even inspired a now-classic
For the entire month of August enjoy a 10% discount on all items, including marked down items. Check with the Navy Museum Store (202) 889-2212 (located in the Navy Museum, Building 76) or the Naval Historical Foundation (202) 678-4333 (located in Building 57) for further details. And be sure to check out the selection of
Earlier this month, we were thrilled to receive an enormous donation of used books on naval history from donor Cynthia Doyle. The books were from the collection of her brother Philip, who passed away recently. For a full week, boxes arrived at our offices, loaded with several hundred books, ranging from small paperbacks to
By Patrick Bishop, Regnery History, Washington, DC, (2013) Reviewed by Stephen Phillips The very presence of a capital ship can often create strategic importance. Today, aircraft carriers exert this influence, but prior to the Second World War, it was battleships that were known by name that caused concern or even fear. The Hunt for Hitler’s
The battleship USS Arizona (BB 39) resting at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, is a powerful symbol of the devastation wrought on 7 December 1941 as Japanese aircraft swooped down on the unsuspecting American Pacific Fleet. Surprisingly, until the year 2000, the U.S Navy did not have a scale model of the battleship in the
As we approach the 71st anniversary of the tragic Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the thoughts of many around the nation will turn towards Hawaii, and the wreck of the battleship USS Arizona. But another Navy vessel from that colossal battle is being prepared for display in the deep South. The tugboat ex-USS Hoga (YT
Now is the time to start planning for the Historic Naval Ships Association 2013 Annual Conference, which will be held in Camden, NJ/Philadelphia 18-21 September. The Battleship New Jersey and Independence Seaport Museum will be co-hosting. Those with good ideas for topics or those would like to present a paper, please contact Toby Oothoudt at
Edited by G H Bennett Ph.D, Plymouth University Press, England, (2012) Reviewed by David Kronenfeld Hunting Tirpitz is a new work in a series of books recently released by the University of Plymouth Press. The series is entitled Britannia Naval Histories of World War II and comprises declassified government documents describing various naval operations during
By Mark Stille, illustrated by Paul Wright, Osprey Publishing, UK, (2011) Reviewed by Alberto R Savoretti, MD Mark Stille’s latest installment is a delightfully refreshing work far and above what its easy reading Osprey/Vanguard primer format suggests: you can’t judge a book by its cover! This work brings new or largely undiscovered material to the
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis. During that dramatic confrontation, ships and aircraft of the U.S. Navy formed a blockade around the island of Cuba, to put a stop to Soviet efforts to build an offensive nuclear force on that island nation (watch a video about the Crisis here). One
By Taylor Hitt, NHF Intern In May of this year, the battleship Texas celebrated the 100th anniversary of its launching. Of the eight American battleships open for public display, she is the only one that served in both World Wars. During World War I, she patrolled in the North Sea alongside the British to protect
By Niklas Zetterling & Michael Tamelander, Casemate Publishers, USA 2009. Reviewed by Capt. John A. Rodgaard, USN (Ret.) Zetterling and Tamelander tell the story of the Tirpitz, Germany’s last super battleship, and the desperate, if not obsessive, efforts by the British to destroy her with a comprehensively different perspective from their previous work about the
