By Youssef Aboul-Enein and Basil Aboul-Enein, Naval Institute Pree, Annapolis, MD (2013) Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb, Ph.D. The Secret War for the Middle East: The Influence of Axis and Allied Intelligence Operations during World War II should not be confused with Andrew Rathmell’s Secret War in the Middle East: The Covert Struggle for Syria,
By Captain Alexander “Sandy” G. Monroe, USN (Ret.), Pleasant Living Books, Richmond, VA (2014) Reviewed by John R. Satterfield, DBA This commemorative volume focuses on graduates of a small private school who served in the U.S. armed forces. Author Alexander Monroe argues that Christchurch School has imbued its students with an outlook that mirrors military
By Michael F. Dilley, Casemate, Philadelphia, PA and Oxford, England (2013) Reviewed by Stephen K. Stein, Ph.D. Since the 9/11 attacks, U.S. Special Forces have received a growing amount of media attention. Numerous books describe and analyze their recent operations. Michael F. Dilley, a writer and editor for Behind the Lines magazine, returns to the modern
By Thomas Wildenberg, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2013) Reviewed by Captain J. F. “Bookie” Boland, U.S. Navy (Retired) Colonel Billy Mitchell, an iconic and controversial figure in United States aviation history, is the subject of an important new book by independent historian Thomas Wildenberg. Although Mitchell’s life and military service is examined in innumerable
By Benjamin F. Armstrong, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2013) Reviewed by Capt. Scott Mobley, USN (Ret.) Despite Alfred Thayer Mahan‘s tremendous influence upon naval policy, national security affairs, and international politics during the early 20th century, many people today regard his ideas as curious artifacts of a bygone era. In his time, Mahan achieved
By Mark Huffman, RH Rositzke & Associates, LLC, Washington, DC (2013) Reviewed by John R. Satterfield, DBA This brief volume tells the story of a distinguished Marine Corps veteran, BGen. William B. Weise, whose career spanned 1952 to 1982 and included service in Korea and Vietnam. BGen. Weise served with more than six months of
By Rick Campbell, St. Martins Press, New York, NY (2014) Reviewed by Capt. Roger F. Jones, USN (Ret.) Retired Navy submarine officer and author Rick Campbell offers an exciting story of how a US Navy Trident nuclear sub, the USS Kentucky, is given falsified orders to launch all twenty-four of its nuclear missiles at Iran.
Each year the North American Society for Oceanic History presents the John Lyman Book Awards, named after the late Professor John Lyman of the University of North Carolina, to recognize excellence in the publication of books that make significant contributions to the study and understanding of maritime and naval history. Winners of the awards for
On a day when the Blue Angels returned to the Naval Academy to entertain the crowds for the first time in several years, the warm up event was the annual Division of Humanities and Social Sciences Awards Ceremony in the hallowed Memorial Hall of the Academy’s Bancroft Hall. This year’s winner of the Naval Historical
By George Stewart (This is the second of a series of blog posts that discuss the role that Casco Bay played during the Second World War. This is Part I of the series. “Going Ashore” are the collected posts from George Stewart, retired Navy Captain and NHF blog volunteer. Read the first post HERE). By 1942, the
Experience the most decisive conflict of the Second World War through the eyes of the Imperial Japanese Navy and United States Navy. Starting today, the Naval Historical Foundation will publish tweets from the perspective of the men and machines that fought the pivotal battle over 70 years ago. This new project follows the example used
By George Stewart (This is the first of a series of blog posts that discuss the role that Casco Bay played during the Second World War. This is Part I of the series. “Going Ashore” are the collected posts from George Stewart, retired Navy Captain and NHF blog volunteer). This series of blog posts will provide
A capacity crowd of Naval Historical Foundation and partner organization members, Navy personnel, industry leaders, and most importantly, Operation Sea Orbit veterans came out to a 6 May event hosted by the Naval Historical Foundation at Nauticus in Norfolk, Virginia. The evening, co-sponsored by Newport News Shipbuilding, celebrated the 50th anniversary of Nuclear Task Force
A long time ago, in a cockpit far, far away…. Today is the unofficial holiday/celebration of the Star Wars film franchise. Here are 10 men and women “space travelers” that served in the U.S. Navy. Luke may have had the force, but did he successfully bring his “space ship” safely home after catastrophic failure? Who
Mondays are hard. 1. Sleeping Sailors on USS Lexington, 1943. 2. USS Barry – Exhausted Sailor. 3. Sailor Quarters in San Diego, 1923. 4. Post-VJ Day Sailors, 1945. 5. This Guy the Next Morning, early 20th Cent. 6. New Jersey Sailor, 1944. 7. USS Olympia Crew. 8. Sailors Reading on deck of USS Lexington, 1943.
