By Joseph Gibbs, Sussex Academic Press Portland, OR (2012). Reviewed by J.J. Ahern As Joseph Gibbs notes in his introduction to On the Account: Piracy and the Americas, 1766 – 1835, “Piracy in the Age of Sail continues to fascinate modern audiences (ix).” The image of swashbuckling buccaneers readily captivates the imagination of all ages;
By Veronica Cherry, Gallant Books, (2012) Reviewed by Nathan Albright In reading this dramatic and action-packed novel about piracy and children in extreme peril, it is difficult not to suspect that the author has a variety of personal and professional motives in framing the story as she does. The novel begins and ends with a
By Ronald D. Utt, Regnery Publishing, Washington, DC, (2012). Reviewed by David Curtis Skaggs, Ph.D. Entering the lists of War of 1812 naval history contenders is Ronald Utt’s Ships of Oak, Guns of Iron that seeks to demonstrate that this conflict forged the respected United States Navy that emerged in the nineteenth century. Or at
By Michael Rutstein, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Salem, MA (2012). Reviewed by James C. Bradford, Ph.D. Despite its important role in American defense policy from the Revolution through the War of 1812, privateering has never been the subject of a comprehensive study. This accounts, in part, for the fact that privateering, i.e., the system of
With the Covert Submarine Operations exhibit in the National Museum of the U.S. Navy’s Cold War Gallery serving as a backdrop, a large crowd filled the Gallery’s North Hall on the evening of 11 April 2013 (coinciding with the Submarine Force’s 113th Birthday) to witness and participate in a program titled “Seawolf and The Maritime
Edited by Jim Bresnahan, Naval Institute Press, 2011. Reviewed by Rear Admiral Ed Keats, USN (Ret) Counter factional histories have been popular with chimerical writers over many years. I can recall from high school days being fascinated with a book based on the author’s imagination of an early ending to the Civil War right after
By Robert D. Hicks, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD. (2011) Reviewed by Mark Lardas When Britain’s first North America colonies were established, transatlantic voyages were challenges analogous to trips to the Moon today. What did it take to sail the Atlantic four centuries ago? Voyage to Jamestown: Practical Navigation in the Age of Discovery; by
Reviewed by Charles Bogart I Remember the Yorktown (2006) is the first of three self-published books that Gene Domienik has written concerning his service in the U. S. Navy during World War II. The book focuses on his tour of duty onboard Yorktown (CV 5) from October 1941 to its loss at the Battle of
On Sunday, April 7th, the Naval Historical Foundation (NHF) hosted a festive event aboard the USS Midway Museum in beautiful San Diego harbor. Over 40 members and friends of the Foundation gathered on the historic aircraft carrier to catch up with old friends and learn more about the latest developments at the Foundation. Guests were
Guest Speaker: The Honorable Robert O. Work Former Undersecretary of the Navy If you have already received an email confirmation on your registration, please do not register again 71st Battle of Midway Commemorative Dinner Tuesday 4 June 2013 Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, VA Cost to attend is $65 per person Reception Begins 1800 Dinner at
In the minutes of the 1948 annual meeting of the Naval Historical Foundation that detailed a post-World War II fundraising campaign led by NHF President Fleet Admiral Ernest King for a naval museum that would open in downtown Washington in May 1950, the secretary wrote: No member of the Foundation, new or old, will need
11-12 April 2014 Greenwich Maritime Institute, University of Greenwich Global War Studies and the Greenwich Maritime Institute are pleased to announce an international conference on the naval and maritime history of the First and Second World Wars. On the centenary of the First World War, the conference seeks to promote an international and interdisciplinary dialogue
By John Gordon, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, (2011). Reviewed by Captain Roger F. Jones, U.S. Navy (Retired) This is a book well worth reading from several standpoints. First, the role of the Navy and Marine Corps in the defense of the Philippines in World War II, as compared to the Army, is not generally
By Edward J. Drea, Washington, D.C.:Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense, (2011). Reviewed by Dr. Richard P. Hallion The historians within the Office of the Secretary of Defense have established an enviable reputation for meticulously researched and well-crafted books, particularly their series on the various Secretaries of Defense. Edward J. Drea’s impressive new
By Norman Polmar (Editor’s note: This is the seventh 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.) While in high school I became interested in the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. As I
