Native American Canoe
“A canoe is a lightweight narrow vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle… Many indigenous peoples of the Americas built bark canoes. They were usually skinned with birch bark over a light wooden frame, but other types could be used if birch was scarce. At a typical length of 4.3 m (14 ft) and weight of 23 kg (50 lb), the canoes were light enough to be portaged, yet could carry a lot of cargo, even in shallow water. Although susceptible to damage from rocks, they are easily repaired. Their performance qualities were soon recognized by early European settler colonials, and canoes played a key role in the exploration of North America, with Samuel de Champlain canoeing as far as the Georgian Bay in 1615. René de Bréhant de Galinée, a French missionary who explored the Great Lakes in 1669, declared: "The convenience of these canoes is great in these waters, full of cataracts or waterfalls, and rapids through which it is impossible to take any boat. When you reach them you load canoe and baggage upon your shoulders and go overland until the navigation is good; and then you put your canoe back into the water, and embark again. American painter, author and traveler George Catlin wrote that the bark canoe was "the most beautiful and light model of all the water crafts that ever were invented".
Mayflower: Voyage, Community, War, by Nathaniel Philbrick
“Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History and New York Times Book Review Top Ten books of the Year. With a new preface marking the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower. How did America begin? That simple question launches the acclaimed author of In the Hurricane's Eye and Valiant Ambition on an extraordinary journey to understand the truth behind our most sacred national myth: the voyage of the Mayflower and the settlement of Plymouth Colony. As Philbrick reveals in this electrifying history of the Pilgrims, the story of Plymouth Colony was a fifty-five year epic that began in peril and ended in war. New England erupted into a bloody conflict that nearly wiped out the English colonists and natives alike. These events shaped the existing communities and the country that would grow from them.”
The Slave Ship: A Human History, by Marcus Rediker
“In this widely praised history of an infamous institution, award-winning scholar Marcus Rediker shines a light into the darkest corners of the British and American slave ships of the eighteenth century. Drawing on thirty years of research in maritime archives, court records, diaries, and firsthand accounts, The Slave Ship is riveting and sobering in its revelations, reconstructing in chilling detail a world nearly lost to history: the "floating dungeons" at the forefront of the birth of African American culture.”
Washington’s Crossing (Pivotal Moments in American History Series, by David Hackett Fischer
"Six months after the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution was all but lost. A powerful British force had routed the Americans at New York, occupied three colonies, and advanced within sight of Philadelphia. Yet, as David Hackett Fischer recounts in this riveting history, George Washington and many other Americans refused to let the Revolution die. On Christmas night, as a howling nor'easter struck the Delaware Valley, he led his men across the river and attacked the exhausted Hessian garrison at Trenton, killing or capturing nearly a thousand men. A second battle of Trenton followed within days. The Americans held off a counterattack by Lord Cornwallis's best troops, then were almost trapped by the British force. Under cover of night, Washington's men stole behind the enemy and struck them again, defeating a brigade at Princeton. The British were badly shaken. In twelve weeks of winter fighting, their army suffered severe damage, their hold on New Jersey was broken, and their strategy was ruined. Fischer's richly textured narrative reveals the crucial role of contingency in these events. We see how the campaign unfolded in a sequence of difficult choices by many actors, from generals to civilians, on both sides. While British and German forces remained rigid and hierarchical, Americans evolved an open and flexible system that was fundamental to their success. The startling success of Washington and his compatriots not only saved the faltering American Revolution, but helped to give it new meaning.”
John Paul Jones: A Sailor’s Biography, by Samuel Eliot Morison
“This book vividly portrays the illustrious career of John Paul Jones, from his early training at sea in the British West Indian merchant trade to his exploits in the newly independent American navy and his appointment as an admiral in the Russian navy and command of a squadron in the Black Sea. With compelling detail and remarkable insight, the dramatic narrative captures Jones's tenacity and fierce dedication and loyalty to his men and country, despite ill treatment and only begrudged recognition from his superiors. Jones's incredible victories at sea form an important part of the book. Morison's description of the battle between Jones's Bonhomme Richard and HMS Serapis is considered one of the most vivid accounts of a naval battle in the English language.”
The Maritime History of Massachusetts, 1783-1860, by Samuel Eliot Morison
"Here is no catalogue of ships, reader, nor naval chronicle, but a story of maritime enterprise; of the shipping, seaborne commerce, whaling, and fishing belonging to one American commonwealth," writes S.E. Morison. "I have chosen to catch the story at half flood, when Massachusetts vessels first sought Far-Eastern waters, and to stay with it only so long as wind and sail would serve. For to one who has sailed a clipper ship, even in fancy, all later modes of ocean carriage must seem decadent."
Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy, by Ian W. Toll
“Before the ink was dry on the U.S. Constitution, the establishment of a permanent military became the most divisive issue facing the new government. The founders?particularly Jefferson, Madison, and Adams?debated fiercely. Would a standing army be the thin end of dictatorship? Would a navy protect from pirates or drain the treasury and provoke hostility? Britain alone had hundreds of powerful warships. From the decision to build six heavy frigates, through the cliff-hanger campaign against Tripoli, to the war that shook the world in 1812, Ian W. Toll tells this grand tale with the political insight of Founding Brothers and the narrative flair of Patrick O'Brian.”
Old Ironsides, Eagle of the Sea: The Story of the USS Constitution, by David Col. Fitz-Enz
“This is the story of the oldest warship afloat in the world, the venerable frigate USS Constitution, the cornerstone of the nascent American navy created by act of Congress in 1794. To set the stage for the dominance of this remarkable vessel, military historian Colonel David Fitz-Enz re-creates the world of sail, when seven knots an hour was considered blinding speed for a warship. In Old Ironsides (a nickname the boat received after a British sailor observed a cannonball bouncing off its side) Fitz-Enz tells the complete story of the ship, from its construction to the ongoing restoration efforts that keep it active today.”
Silas Talbot: Captain of Old Ironsides, by William M. Fowler
“Silas Talbot became Captain of Constitution near the end of a dramatic, upwardly mobile trajectory from farm boy to colleague of the mighty, including Washington, Hamilton and Lafayette. A hero of the American Revolution on land and sea, Talbot was a Rhode Island Militia officer, a successful privateer, and a U.S. Navy Captain who saw action during the Quasi War with France. This biography by Professor William M. Fowler, Jr. of Northeastern University, based in large part on the collection of Talbot papers in the G.W. Blunt White Library at Mystic Seaport Museum, brings us the life of a plain citizen of the new republic -- a citizen whose bravery and energy helped to create it.
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History, by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
“When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute far beyond what the new country could afford. Jefferson found it impossible to negotiate with the leaders of the Barbary States, who believed their religion justified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercy, so President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy's new warships and a detachment of Marines to blockade Tripoli--launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America's journey toward future superpower status.”
Stephen Decatur: American Naval Hero, 1779-1820, by Robert J. Allison
“Born to a prominent Philadelphia family in 1779, Stephen Decatur at age twenty-five became the youngest man ever to serve as a captain in the U.S. Navy. His intrepid heroism, leadership, and devotion to duty made him a perfect symbol of the aspirations of the growing nation. Leading men to victory in Tripoli, the War of 1812, and the Algerian war of 1815, and coining the phrase "Our country, right or wrong," Decatur created an enduring legend of bravery, celebrated in poetry, song, paintings, and the naming of dozens of towns -- from Georgia to Alabama to Illinois. After the War of 1812, Decatur moved to Washington to help direct naval policy. His close friendships with James Madison, John Quincy Adams, and other political leaders soon made him a rising star in national politics. He and his wife Susan made their elegant home on Lafayette Square near the White House a center of Washington society. The capital and the entire nation were shocked in 1820 when Decatur died at the age of forty-one in a duel with a rival navy captain. In this carefully researched and well-written biography, historian Robert Allison tells the story of Decatur's eventful life at a time when the young republic was developing its own identity -- when the American people were deciding what kind of nation they would become. Although he died prematurely, Decatur played a significant role in the shaping of that national identity.”
Lewis and Clark’s Keelboat
“Lewis and Clark's keelboat was built as a galley in Pittsburgh in 1803 for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, after detailed specifications by Meriwether Lewis. A keelboat, it could be propelled by oars, sails, poles and towlines. The boat was the expedition's main vessel until the spring of 1805, when it was returned to Saint Louis.”
The Naval War of 1812: A Complete History, by Theodore Roosevelt
“Although only 23 years old at the time of publication, Theodore Roosevelt made his mark as a military scholar with this detailed analysis of naval combat between the United States and Great Britain from 1812–15. Engagingly written and comprehensively researched, The Naval War of 1812 exercised considerable influence on the formation of the modern American Navy and remains a cornerstone work in its field. Drawing upon official documents, letters, and histories, Roosevelt portrays the political and social atmosphere in the United States and Great Britain prior to the war, taking particular note of America's unpreparedness. He then presents a balanced year-by-year chronicle of the war's progression on the Atlantic Ocean and the American lakes. Unlike prior histories, Roosevelt's account offers impartial assessments of the relative strengths and weaknesses of both sides. Four years after publication, the U.S. Navy ordered that a copy be placed on every ship, and it remains standard reading at the Naval Academy. The book contributed to Roosevelt's appointment as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and his role in the navy's development and modernization, resulting in a significant step toward America's rise as a world power.”
The Captain from Connecticut: The Life and Naval Times of Isaac Hull, by Linda M. Maloney
“The Captain from Connecticut is the definitive biography of the man who became a national hero as the commander of the USS Constitution in her dramatic victory over HMS Guerriere in the War of 1812. While Isaac Hull's outstanding seamanship was in evidence throughout his career, Maloney makes the case that it is ironic that he is remembered for his tactical prowess in this famous naval battle, because he was actually the most pacific of men.”
1812: The Navy’s War, by George C. Daughan
“At the outbreak of the War of 1812, America's prospects looked dismal. It was clear that the primary battlefield would be the open ocean -- but America's war fleet, only twenty ships strong, faced a practiced British navy of more than a thousand men-of-war. Still, through a combination of nautical deftness and sheer bravado, the American navy managed to take the fight to the British and turn the tide of the war: on the Great Lakes, in the Atlantic, and even in the eastern Pacific. In 1812: The Navy's War, prizewinning historian George C. Daughan tells the thrilling story of how a handful of heroic captains and their stalwart crews overcame spectacular odds to lead the country to victory against the world's greatest imperial power. A stunning contribution to military and national history, 1812: The Navy's War is the first complete account in more than a century of how the U.S. Navy rescued the fledgling nation and secured America's future.”
Gibbons v. Ogden: John Marshall, Steamboats, and Interstate Commerce (Landmark Law Cases & American Society), by Herbert A. Johnson
“What began as a standoff between competing steamship entrepreneurs ended as one of the Supreme Court's most significant cases. Gibbons v. Ogden in 1824 brought into sharp relief the ongoing tug-of-war for power between individual states and the federal government. By applying the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, the Court set a key precedent for federal authority. But, behind the scenes, the "Steamboat Case" also demonstrated Chief Justice John Marshall's instrumental role as mediator on the bench.”
Whale Ships and Whaling, by Albert Cook Church
“Whaling is dominated by Melville and rightly so. There does exist a history of whaling before Melville and after Melville. "Whale Ships and Whaling" helps tell the story of this history as well as illuminate an important aspect of American history. As an industry whaling had its beginnings and a peak in technology. Albert Church illustrates this history well. If you are a romantic, a "Moby-Dick" aficionado, or just wish to visit Mystic or New Bedford, a read of Whale Ships and Whaling will make these visits so much more enlightening.”
Captain Ahab (Moby-Dick), by Herman Melville
“Captain Ahab is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick (1851). He is the monomaniacal captain of the whaling ship Pequod. On a previous voyage, the white whale Moby Dick bit off Ahab's leg, and he now wears a prosthetic leg made out of whalebone. The whaling voyage of the Pequod ends up as a hunt for revenge on the whale, as Ahab forces the crew members to support his fanatical mission. When Moby Dick is finally sighted, Ahab's hatred robs him of all caution, and the whale drags Ahab to the bottom of the sea. Melville biographer Andrew Delbanco calls Ahab "a brilliant personification of the very essence of fanaticism".
Pequod (Moby-Dick), by Herman Melville
“Pequod is a fictional 19th-century Nantucket whaling ship that appears in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick by American author Herman Melville. Pequod and her crew, commanded by Captain Ahab, are central to the story, which, after the initial chapters, takes place almost entirely aboard the ship during a three-year whaling expedition in the Atlantic, Indian and South Pacific oceans. Most of the characters in the novel are part of Pequod's crew, including the narrator Ishmael. Ishmael encounters the ship after he arrives in Nantucket and learns of three ships that are about to leave on three-year cruises. Tasked by his new friend, the Polynesian harpooner Queequeg (or more precisely, Queequeg's idol-god, Yojo), to make the selection for them both, Ishmael, a self-described "green hand at whaling," goes to the Straight Wharf and chooses the Pequod. It is revealed that Pequod was named for the Algonquian-speaking Pequot tribe of Native Americans, decimated and scattered in the early 1600s by the Pequot War and by the epidemic that preceded it. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe (Western Pequot tribe) and the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation still inhabit their reservation in Connecticut.”
Clipper Ships
“A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. Clippers were generally narrow for their length, small by later 19th century standards, could carry limited bulk freight, and had a large total sail area. "Clipper" does not refer to a specific sailplan; clippers may be schooners, brigs, brigantines, etc., as well as full-rigged ships. Clippers were mostly constructed in British and American shipyards, though France, Brazil, the Netherlands and other nations also produced some. Clippers sailed all over the world, primarily on the trade routes between the United Kingdom and China, in transatlantic trade, and on the New York-to-San Francisco route around Cape Horn during the California Gold Rush. Dutch clippers were built beginning in the 1850s for the tea trade and passenger service to Java.”
Historic Photos of Steamboats on the Mississippi, by Dean M. Shapiro
“From the earliest rudimentary conveyances to the floating palaces of the present day, a period of 200 years, steamboats have carved out a very special place in American history, especially along the Mississippi River and its tributaries, where they brought passengers, cargo, mail, entertainment, and news—both good and bad—to the settlements of a still-developing nation. With paddle-wheels churning, tall smokestacks billowing, calliopes singing, and steam whistles sounding, the steamboats of the Mighty Mississippi proudly ruled the river. Some offered all the comforts of home (and more); others did the work for the industries that transformed the United States into the industrial giant it became. They carried presidents and kings, socialites and commoners, cotton and coal, lumber and steel. They enabled some of our nation’s major cities to grow and flourish. Told through historic photographs in these pages, the story of steamboats that plied the Mississippi and the glorious era they symbolized is vividly captured and enshrined for generations to come.”
Life on the Mississippi, by Mark Twain
“Hannibal, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River, was host to riverboat travelers from around the world, providing a vigorous and variable atmosphere for the young Samuel Clemens to absorb. Clemens became a riverboat pilot and even chose his pen name—Mark Twain—from a term boatmen would call out signifying water depth at two fathoms, meaning safe clearance for travel. It was from this background that Life on the Mississippi emerged. It is an epochal record of America’s growth, a stirring remembrance of her vanished past. And it earned for its author his first recognition as a serious writer.”
United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland
“The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Annapolis, or simply Navy) is a federal service academy adjacent to Annapolis, Maryland. Established on 10 October 1845, under Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft, it is the second oldest of the five U.S. service academies, and educates officers for commissioning primarily into the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The 338-acre (137 ha) campus is located on the former grounds of Fort Severn at the confluence of the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay in Anne Arundel County, 33 miles (53 km) east of Washington, D.C. and 26 miles (42 km) southeast of Baltimore. The entire campus (known to insiders as "the Yard") is a National Historic Landmark and home to many historic sites, buildings, and monuments. It replaced Philadelphia Naval Asylum, in Philadelphia, that served as the first United States Naval Academy from 1838 to 1845 when the Naval Academy formed in Annapolis. Candidates for admission generally must both apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a member of Congress. Students are officers-in-training with the rank of midshipman. Tuition for midshipmen is fully funded by the Navy in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation. Approximately 1,200 "plebes" (an abbreviation of the Ancient Roman word plebeian) enter the Academy each summer for the rigorous Plebe Summer. About 1,000 midshipmen graduate. Graduates are usually commissioned as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps, but a small number can also be cross-commissioned as officers in other U.S. services, and the services of allied nations. The United States Naval Academy has some of the highest paid graduates in the country according to starting salary.[5] The academic program grants a Bachelor of Science degree with a curriculum that grades midshipmen's performance upon a broad academic program, military leadership performance, and mandatory participation in competitive athletic. Midshipmen are required to adhere to the academy's Honor Concept.”
Old Bruin Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, by Samuel Eliot Morison
"The American Naval Officer who Helped Found Liberia, Hunted Pirates in the West Indies, Practiced Diplomacy with the Sultan of Turkey and the King of the Two Sicilies Commanded the Gulf Squadron in the Mexican War, Promoted the Steam Navy and the Shell Gun, and Conducted the Naval Expedition which Opened Japan.”
War on the Waters: The Union and Confederate Navies, 1861-1865, by James M. McPherson
“Although previously undervalued for their strategic impact because they represented only a small percentage of total forces, the Union and Confederate navies were crucial to the outcome of the Civil War. In War on the Waters, James M. McPherson has crafted an enlightening, at times harrowing, and ultimately thrilling account of the war's naval campaigns and their military leaders. McPherson recounts how the Union navy's blockade of the Confederate coast, leaky as a sieve in the war's early months, became increasingly effective as it choked off vital imports and exports. Meanwhile, the Confederate navy, dwarfed by its giant adversary, demonstrated daring and military innovation. Commerce raiders sank Union ships and drove the American merchant marine from the high seas. Southern ironclads sent several Union warships to the bottom, naval mines sank many more, and the Confederates deployed the world's first submarine to sink an enemy vessel. But in the end, it was the Union navy that won some of the war's most important strategic victories--as an essential partner to the army on the ground at Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, Port Hudson, Mobile Bay, and Fort Fisher, and all by itself at Port Royal, Fort Henry, New Orleans, and Memphis.”
Secrets of A Civil War Submarine: Solving The Mysteries Of The H. L. Hunley, by Sally M. Walker
“On February 17, 1864, the H.L. Hunley made history as the first submarine to sink a ship in battle. Soldiers on the shore waited patiently after seeing the submarine’s return signal. But after several days, the ship had failed to return. What had gone wrong? In 1995, after over 130 years of searching, the H.L. Hunley was finally found buried off the coast of South Carolina. Follow author, Sally M. Walker on a fascinating journey through the workings of the famous submarine, its voyages, and the difficult obstacles that were overcome to recover, excavate and conserve the ship.”
IRONCLAD: The Monitor & the Merrimack, by Arthur Mokin
“The narrative begins on April 6, 1861. We meet an anxious Gideon Welles, Secretary of the U.S. Navy. He fears war is about to break out and is concerned that the Confederates will confiscate units of the U.S. fleet in southern ports. He is particularly concerned about the recently built USS Merrimack, one of the few steam-powered ships in the navy. On April 12, the Confederates fire on Ft. Sumter and the long, devastating war begins. Abe Lincoln and his cabinet realizing the south has no industrial capacity and that it plans to import all weaponry and materiel in return for cotton, settle on the stratagem of blockade. To his dismay, Welles learns that the Confederates have seized Merrimack and plan to refit her as an ironclad with which to bust the anticipated blockade. Welles also learns that a New York engineer claims to have designed an ironclad that can counter Merrimack and moreover, guarantees to build it in one hundred days. Each side sets about frantically to build its ironclad, Merrimack in Norfolk, and Monitor in New York. It is a race that can decide the outcome of the war since England, France, and Spain signal their intention to intervene on the side of the Confederacy if the integrity of the Union blockade cannot be maintained. On Saturday, March 8, 1862, Merrimack steams into Hampton Roads, anchorage of the U.S. blockading force, and the confederate ironclad decimates the Union fleet of wooden ships. The following day Monitor steams onto the scene, and the epic battle of the first ironclad warships begins; it proves to be the most critical naval engagement of the war, and one that renders the wooden navies of the world obsolete.”
Mississippi River Gunboats of the American Civil War 1861–65, by Angus Konstam
“At the start of the American Civil War, neither side had warships on the Mississippi River and in the first few months both sides scrambled to gather a flotilla, converting existing riverboats for naval use. These ships were transformed into powerful naval weapons despite a lack of resources, trained manpower and suitable vessels. The creation of a river fleet was a miracle of ingenuity, improvisation and logistics, particularly for the South. This title describes their design, development and operation throughout the American Civil War.”
Lincoln’s Admiral: The Civil War Campaigns of David Farragut, by James P Duffy
“This book tells of the Civil War campaigns of David Farragut. Thoroughly researched and compellingly written, this book examines Farragut's command of the most daring and important assignment of the Civil War: the mission to recapture the vital Southern port of New Orleans. "Damn the torpedoes... Full speed ahead." Admiral David Farragut's bold order at the Battle of Mobile Bay has served as a rallying cry for the United States Navy for a century. Described as "urbane" and "indomitable" by contemporaries, and lionized as an "American Viking" by the Northern press during the Civil War. Farragut was considered gallant, brilliant, and humane by friend and foe alike. Lincoln's Admiral also offers insights into the Battle of Mobile Bay, arguably Farragut's most famous campaign. An expansive and compelling chronicle of Farragut's career, Lincoln's Admiral traces the brilliant decisions and wartime strategy of one of history's greatest military leaders.”
A Ship to Remember: The Maine and the Spanish-American War, by Michael Blow
“Explains how the Navy's prized battleship failed to protect Cuba from Spanish rule in the United States' first step away from isolationism during the Spanish-American War. 20,000 first printing.”
Autobiography of George Dewey: Admiral of the United States Navy, and Hero of the Spanish-American War, by George Dewey
“Dewey recounts his youth in Vermont, telling of his appreciation for the outdoors, with a particular passion being to swim in the nearby river. The lack of discipline in his nearby schoolhouse – a place which lacked permanent staff - concerned Dewey’s father, who decided to send his son to military school. It was this decision which shaped the boy’s entire life; Dewey demonstrated great aptitude and was already a junior officer by the time of the U.S. Civil War. The earliest signs of Dewey’s greatness glimmered during the Civil War, in which he performed well during the Battle of New Orleans. Promoted and distinguished by the end of the conflict, Dewey spent the years following the war witnessing a navy which was rapidly modernizing as new technologies transformed naval materiel and warfare. By the 1890s, Dewey was a mature commander in charge of the United States’ Asiatic Squadron; a group of cutting-edge warships. Dewey’s decisive command during the Battle of Manila Bay, which saw the opposing Spanish naval force thrown into chaos and disarray, made the admiral a national hero. The fight was crucial; with it, the USA took possession of Manila and began in earnest to capture the Philippines from the Spaniards.”
Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783, by Alfred Thayer Mahan
“Consider by scholars as the single most influential book in naval strategy, Alfred Thayer Mahan’s The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1660-1783), is a history of naval warfare and sea power during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that would have a profound influence on the world in the early part of the twentieth century. Mahan published The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1660-1783) while he was President of the US Naval War College. In it he examines what factors lead to supremacy of the seas, focusing heavily on how Britain rose to Imperial dominance through the development of its navy. The book contains numerous descriptions of a series of European and American wars and how naval power was used in each. After the publication of this work the policies outlined in it would soon be adopted by the major military powers of the time ultimately causing the naval arms race of World War I.”
Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet, by James R. Reckner
“Drawing on previously untapped sources, naval historian James Reckner provides a complete picture of the fleet that thrust the United States into the ranks of great world naval powers. His fresh interpretations of the fleet's historic 1907-09 world cruise, which won him the 1989 Roosevelt Naval History Prize, allow today's readers to fully appreciate the significance of the famous fleet that set sail during Teddy Roosevelt's second term as president. Reckner recreates the colorful pageantry of the event--sixteen U.S. battleships on a fourteen-month voyage around the world--that drew thousands of sightseers at every port of call, but his main emphasis is on the cruise's long-range impact on the Navy. He shows how the cruise revealed the fleet's shortcomings and forced the naval establishment to acknowledge the faults and make concessions that eventually led to permanent benefits.”
The Two-Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War, by Samuel Eliot Morison
“Morison's 15-volume history of US naval operations in World War II is often regarded as a definitive account. This book distills that material into one volume, and combines historical analysis with the author's personal experience as an admiral in the war.”
Nimitz, by E. B. Potter
“Called a great book worthy of a great man, this definitive biography of the commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet in World War II, first published in 1976 and now available in paperback for the first time, continues to be considered the best book ever written about Adm. Chester W. Nimitz. Highly respected by both the civilian and naval communities, Nimitz was sometimes overshadowed by more colorful warriors in the Pacific such as MacArthur and Halsey. Potter's lively and authoritative style fleshes out Admiral Nimitz's personality to help readers appreciate the contributions he made as the principal architect of Japan's defeat. Following the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, President Roosevelt named Nimitz as commander of the Pacific Fleet. An experienced and respected leader, Nimitz was also an effective military strategist who directed U.S. forces as they closed in on Japan, beginning in May and June of 1942 with the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway. Nimitz was promoted to the newly-created rank of fleet admiral in 1944 and became the naval equivalent to the army's General Dwight Eisenhower. The book covers his full life, from a poverty-stricken childhood to postwar appointments as Chief of Naval Operations and U.N. mediator. It candidly reveals Nimitz's opinions of Halsey, Kimmel, King, Spruance, MacArthur, Forrestal, Roosevelt, and Truman.”
Bull Halsey, by Elmer Belmont Potter
“Applauded by the public and revered by the men who served under him, Adm. William F. Halsey was one of the leading American personalities of World War II. His reputation as a no-holds-barred fighter and his tough-guy expression earned him the nickname "Bull," yet he was also known for showing genuine compassion toward his men and inspiring them to great feats in the Pacific. Originally disclaiming the praise heaped on him, Halsey eventually came to believe in the swashbuckling legend that surrounded him, and his conduct became increasingly controversial. Naval historian E. B. Potter, who established his reputation with an award-winning biography of Chester W. Nimitz, gets behind the stereotype of this national hero and describes Halsey at his best and worst, including his controversial actions at Leyte Gulf. To write this book Potter had full access to Halsey's family and to the admiral's private papers and provides detail of Halsey's youth and career before the war. First published in 1985, it remains the definitive study.”
PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy, by William Doyle
“In the early morning darkness of August 2, 1943, during a chaotic nighttime skirmish amid the Solomon Islands, the Japanese destroyer Amagiri barreled through thick fog and struck the U.S. Navy's motor torpedo boat PT 109, splitting the craft nearly in half and killing two American sailors instantly. The sea erupted in flames as the 109's skipper, John F. Kennedy, and the ten surviving crewmen under his command desperately clung to the sinking wreckage; 1,200 feet of ink-black, shark-infested water loomed beneath. "All hands lost," came the reports back to the Americans' base: no rescue was coming for the men of PT 109. Their desperate ordeal was just beginning—so too was one of the most remarkable tales of World War II, one whose astonishing afterlife would culminate two decades later in the White House.”
Rickover: Controversy and Genius – A Biography, by Norman Polmar and Thomas B. Allen
“The biography of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the acknowledged "Father of the Nuclear Navy". Rickover was an acknowledged leader and engineering genius, he was also known for his acerbic personality. He served his country for 60 years in the Navy. Over these years he made many powerful friends and just as powerful enemies. Finally President Reagan was able to retire him something two previous presidents weren't able to do. This is a well research and penetrating biography.”
USS Nautilus (SSN-571), first nuclear-powered submarine
“USS Nautilus (SSN-571) was the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine and the first submarine to complete a submerged transit of the North Pole on 3 August 1958. Her initial commanding officer was Eugene Parks "Dennis" Wilkinson, a widely respected naval officer who set the stage for many of the protocols of today's Nuclear Navy of the US, and who had a storied career during military service and afterwards. Sharing a name with Captain Nemo's fictional submarine in Jules Verne's classic 1870 science fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and the USS Nautilus (SS-168) that served with distinction in World War II, the new nuclear-powered Nautilus was authorized in 1951. Construction began in 1952, and the boat was launched in January 1954, attended by Mamie Eisenhower, First Lady of the United States, wife of 34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower; it was commissioned the following September into the United States Navy. Nautilus was delivered to the Navy in 1955. Because her nuclear propulsion allowed her to remain submerged far longer than diesel-electric submarines, she broke many records in her first years of operation and traveled to locations previously beyond the limits of submarines. In operation, she revealed a number of limitations in her design and construction. This information was used to improve subsequent submarines. Nautilus was decommissioned in 1980 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1982. The submarine has been preserved as a museum ship at the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Connecticut, where the vessel receives around 250,000 visitors per year.”
USS Nimitz
“USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is a supercarrier of the United States Navy, and the lead ship of her class. One of the largest warships in the world, she was laid down, launched, and commissioned as CVAN-68, "aircraft carrier, attack, nuclear powered", but she was later redesignated as CVN-68, "aircraft carrier, multi-mission, nuclear-powered", on 30 June 1975, as part of a fleet-wide realignment that year. The ship was named after World War II Pacific fleet commander Chester W. Nimitz, USN, (1885–1966), who was the Navy's third fleet admiral. Nimitz had her homeport at Naval Station Norfolk until 1987, when she was relocated to Naval Station Bremerton in Washington (now part of Naval Base Kitsap). Following her Refueling and Complex Overhaul in 2001, her home port was changed to Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego County, California. The home port of Nimitz was again moved to Naval Station Everett in Washington in 2012. In January 2015, Nimitz changed home port from Everett back to Naval Base Kitsap. With the inactivation of USS Enterprise in 2012 and decommissioning in 2017, Nimitz is now the oldest U.S. aircraft carrier in service, and the oldest serving aircraft carrier in the world.”
