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Limited Copies of THE NAVY Re-Release Now Available

The Naval Historical Foundation is pleased to announce the re-release of THE NAVY, the white hard-covered coffee table book published by Rizzoli International Inc. The original 2000 edition of THE NAVY, with over 300,000 copies in print, was one of the most successful books of the military coffee table book genre.  Yet the content quickly

Sideburns and Sea Service: A History of Facial Hair in the U.S. Navy

Every November, men around the world abstain from shaving to raise awareness of men’s health issues.  “Movember,” or “moustache November,” is now a global sensation, raising millions of dollars for awareness since it began over a decade ago. How does this relate to the United States Navy?  Well, it doesn’t really.  The growing of moustaches

Turkey, Giblet Gravy, and….Cigarettes? Former NHHC Staffer Reveals Holiday Menu Collection

If you follow any organization that studies naval history, chances are you have recently seen several ship and shore holiday menus posted or shared on their respective social media sites.   Institutions like the Naval History and Heritage Command, Puget Sound Naval Museum, Hampton Roads Naval Museum, and Battleship Cove are showcasing their unique collections of

Norman’s Corner: An Astronaut Underwater

By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the nineteenth 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.) I knew an astronaut.  We were friends for a few years.  We were not close, but we were on a first-name basis.

BOOK REVIEW – Blackrobes in Blue: The Navy Chaplaincy of John P. Foley, S.J., 1942-46

By Steve O’Brien, Self Published, (2002). Reviewed by Commander Paul W. Murphey, CHC, USN (Ret), Ph.D. It was only four years in the long life of Father John P. Foley, S.J.  For many of “the greatest generation,” it was the most momentous time of his life. After the arduous years of becoming a Jesuit and serving

BOOK REVIEW – D-Day Hero Destroyer – Identified After 68 Year Search

By Ray Woods, RoseDogBooks, Pittsburgh, PA (2013). Reviewed by Charles Bogart This book might be best classified as an autobiography of Ray Woods’s service on USS O’Brien (DD 725) from 1943 to 1945.  During this period, O’Brien saw action in both Pacific and Atlantic theaters of warfare.  O’Brien was off the Normandy beachhead during the

BOOK REVIEW – To Crown the Waves: The Great Navies of the First World War

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

BOOK REVIEW – Shield of Dreams: Missile Defense and U. S. – Russian Nuclear Strategy

By Stephen J. Cimbala, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, (2008). Reviewed by Captain Roger F. Jones, USN (Ret.) According to author Stephen Cimbala, Shield of Dreams is “a policy study that provides a focused discussion of missile defenses and their relationship to Russian-U.S. nuclear arms control and nuclear deterrence relationships and nuclear proliferation [. .

BOOK REVIEW – Hero of the Angry Sky: The World War I Diary and Letters of David S. Ingalls, America’s First Naval Ace

Edited by Geoffrey L. Rossano, Ohio University Press, Athens, OH, (2013). Reviewed by Mitchell Yockelson, Ph.D. Hero of the Angry Sky is the unique story of World War I Navy flying ace Lt. David S. Ingalls. Editor Geoffrey L. Rossano dug deep into a number of American and British archival collections and uncovered a wealth

BOOK REVIEW: The Recipient’s Son: A Novel of Honor

By Stephen Phillips, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, (2012). Reviewed by LTJG J. Scott Shaffer, USN Developing future naval officers morally, mentally, and physically is not an easy task.  Midshipmen come from all fifty states with various backgrounds, beliefs, and personalities.  By the time they take their oath, they must be ready to lead.  Stephen

BOOK REVIEW – Fallujah Awakens: Marines, Sheiks and the Battle Against al Qaeda

By Bill Ardolino, Naval Institute Press Annapolis, (2013). Reviewed by John Grady Bill Ardolino, associate editor of the Long War Journal, wrote a telling account of counterinsurgency warfare and its costs.  In no place does he summarize this struggle better than his narrative of the yearlong struggle of a Marine Reserve unit and Sunni Iraqis

Call for Papers: National Museum of the Royal Navy Research Seminar

The National Museum of the Royal Navy runs a research seminar programme from October to June each academic year.  This seminar programme gives new and established scholars the opportunity to present their latest research to a research active and supportive audience.  All areas and aspects of naval history, British or foreign, strategic, technological, social or