Reviewed by Jeff Schultz Jean-Charles Stasi’s Operation Chariot: the St Nazaire Raid, 1942 explores the audacious World War II British commando raid that disabled the only suitable drydock on the French coast, thereby preventing the German battleship Tirpitz from harassing Allied convoys. In particular, the book provides a concise, well-illustrated overview of the memorable raid
Reviewed by Hans Christian Bjerg Today, probably very few are familiar with the armament and the dominant role of the Navy of the Soviet Union during the Cold War over three decades away. In the period of 1970-90, the Soviet Navy was able to challenge the U.S. Navy on the World’s Oceans. In the
Reviewed by CDR Brian Emory, USN Chief Warrant Officer Kevin P. Gilheany has done a wonderful job delivering a memoir of his service in the Coast Guard. His writing style is easy to read and always engaging in a book that’s can be completed in one sitting or over a weekend. His story begins in
By Midshipman Maya Weiss, United States Naval Academy There’s a proverb that proclaims, “Like father, like son.” For Edward Latimer Beach, Sr. and Edward Latimer “Ned” Beach, Jr., no truer words have been spoken. For them, naval service was a multigenerational calling. And while the two generations served at different times in naval history, and
Reviewed by Robert P. Largess. Once, a much-esteemed young man, then in his all-knowing 20’s, asked me “How can you keep on reading books on WWII? Don’t you already know everything there is to know?” Now, decades later, the perfect answer has appeared in the form of Richard Frank’s immensely learned
By MIDN 4/C Alex Hooker, United States Naval Academy Regarding the possibility of a naval school to train future officers, one salty critic is quoted as saying, “You could no more educate sailors in a shore college than you can teach ducks to swim in a garret.” Considering the long line of brave, consequential officers
Reviewed by Mr. Walt Haskins. The version reviewed is a 2019 paperback re-printing of the original, published in 1980. The author, some forty years ago, had access to many of the original sailors and witnesses, both British and German, and provides first-hand accounts of their recollections. He analyzes contemporary documentation from both British and German
78 years ago this week, the Battle of the Coral Sea raged between the Imperial Japanese Navy and forces of the Australian and United States Navies. The battle resulted in a strategic victory for the Allies, despite their high casualties and loss of vessels. Commander William Ault was one such casualty during the battle. William
Reviewed by Midshipman “Bo” Schrader, IV, USNA The Middle East is an undeniably complex region. Its unique ethnoreligious composition, political layout, and violent history make understanding the region a formidable task. In their book Middle East 101, Youssef Aboul-Enein and Joseph Stanik provide a digestible overview of the Middle East, spanning from ancient times to
Reviewed by Ed Calouro Witold Koszela, author of Battleships of the III Reich, Vol. 1, is a prolific writer who has penned many books about several nations’ warships. Among these are histories of the British Nelson and King George V-class battleships, several books about American battlewagons, including the South Dakota and Iowa classes, and books
For the third straight year the Naval Historical Foundation (NHF) will recognize talented middle and high school teachers whose students produce award winning projects having a naval or maritime theme in the annual National History Day (NHD) competition. Continuing a program started in 2018, NHF will present “Teacher of Distinction” awards to teachers whose students
Below is an edited excerpt of an interview with Dr. Robert Ballard conducted by NOAA. You may find the original interview here: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/oceanage/05ballard/transcript.html NOAA Interview with Dr. Robert Ballard Dr. Ballard: My mission in life, in fact if you look at my job description, it’s to explore; and since I am a geologist, that means the
Reviewed by Randall D. Fortson, MA Vincent P. O’Hara opens his newest work, Six Victories: North Africa, Malta, and the Mediterranean Convoy War: November 1941 ̶ March 1942, by stating that victory has a hundred fathers. The phrase originates from the diary of Mussolini’s son-in-law, Galeazzo Ciano but O’Hara intends it as a metaphor for
Reviewed by Jon Middaugh, Ph.D. Donald Stoker, a Professor of Strategy and Policy for the U.S. Naval War College’s Monterey Program at the Naval Postgraduate School from 1999-2017, has written a tightly argued case for improving the approach American leaders use for fighting wars. The recommendations and insights in Why America Loses Wars deserve widespread
By: Kyle Nappi For years, blockbuster movies have illuminated the feats of the warring sailors from World War II’s European Theater of Operations: The Enemy Below (1957), Das Boot (1981), and U-571 (2000) to name a few. This year –pending COVID-19 – Tom Hanks will unveil Greyhound, a war epic set during the Battle of
