By John Grady The Navy was more successful in its campaigns like Port Royal, S.C. and New Orleans than the Army during the American Civil War particularly in the Virginia Theater. According to Pulitzer Prize-winning author James McPherson, it was “partially due to the professionalism of Navy leadership in high positions.” Dr. McPherson answered these
By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the 21st 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.) Nigel West is not a spy. Some people think that he is. British journalist and documentary film producer Jon Ronson, in his
The Naval War of 1812 “America’s Second War of Independence:” Collections of William I. Koch and the U.S. Naval Academy Museum By Dr. William S. Dudley with Dr. J. Scott Harmon, United States Naval Academy. Annapolis, MD, (2013) In Their Own Words: The Navy Fights the War of 1812 By Vice Adm. George W. Emery,
By Kurt Gross, Edited by Simone C. De Santiago Ramos, Gerhard Hess Verlag, Bad Schussenried, Germany, (2013) Reviewed by Ingo Heidbrink, Ph.D. The diary of Kurt Gross, a petty officer of the German navy (Reichsmarine), covers the journey of the cruiser Karlsruhe to North and South America between November 1931 and December 1932. It is
By Mark Stille, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, United Kingdom, (2013) Reviewed by Diana L. Ahmad, Ph.D. This second volume about Japanese World War II destroyers continues Mark Stille’s excellent work. Once again, the book provides many details about when the Japanese built the vessels, the changes implemented, and ultimately what happened to the ships. As with
We would like to introduce a new segment to the NHF Blog page: Washington Navy Yard: Then and Now. We will be showing the growth and changes in Washington Navy Yard history from yesterday through today. Today’s images discuss Building 201, just a few blocks from the National Museum of the United States Navy. The
Edited by Vincent P. O’Hara, W. David Dickson, and Richard Worth, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, (2013). Reviewed by Alan M. Anderson The approaching centenary of the First World War continues to generate many new works of scholarship. Most volumes will be devoted to land campaigns, whose images of trench warfare and the slaughter of
The Naval Historical Foundation is pleased to announce the relaunch of The International Journal of Naval History, and the release of the October 2013 issue. IJNH is the scholastic arm of the Foundation’s naval history outreach. It features peer-reviewed original articles, and book reviews on important new publications. IJNH is founded on the belief that
By Captain George Stewart, USN (Retired) This article is intended to provide a basic description of the ex USS Charleston (PG 51) when it served as the USTS Charleston, the training ship for the Massachusetts Maritime Academy during the period between 1948 and 1957. USS Charleston (PG 51) was one of only two Erie
By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the seventeenth 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.) In July 1983 a friend asked my wife, Beverly, and me to attend a bar-b-q at his home. Among the few others
By Captain George Stewart, USN (RET) This is the fifth in a series of articles by Captain Stewart detailing the technical specifications, manning, and operations of the U.S. Navy’s Fletcher class destroyers. This is the fifth and last article in a series describing life aboard a World War II built Fletcher Class destroyer during the
Edited by Jim Dolbow, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD. (2013). Reviewed by Thomas P. Ostrom The Coast Guardsman’s Manual, first published in 1952, is now in print for its 10th edition, skillfully edited by Lt. Jim Dolbow (USCGR). Dolbow has served on active duty assignments, as a congressional legislative assistant on defense issues, and legislative
Last month, People’s Liberation Army Navy Commander in Chief Admiral Wu Shengli visited the Washington Navy Yard, and was welcomed by U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert. Greenert hosted his Chinese counterpart for a week’s visit, and the two toured numerous installations in the United States. The two exchanged small mementos of
By Rodney Earl Walton, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2013) Reviewed by Diana L. Ahmad, Ph.D. This well-researched and well-written book analyzed the role of forward artillery observers on Okinawa during the largest artillery battle in World War II’s Pacific Theater. Likely inspired by his father’s role as a forward observer for the 361st Field
By Myron J. Smith, Jr., McFarland, Henderson, NC, (2012). Reviewed by John Grady Myron Smith has delivered a wonderfully detailed account of the stubborn fighting that continued along the Yazoo River for much of the Civil War. For the Union Navy, in particular, it was a sometimes brutish brawl that continued after the fall of
