The U.S. Naval Institute is maintaining and preserving the former Naval Historical Foundation website so readers and former NHF members can still access past issues of Pull Together and other content. NHF has decommissioned and is no longer accepting new members or donations. NHF members are being converted to members of the Naval Institute. If you have questions, please contact the Naval Institute via email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-233-8764.Not a member of the Naval Institute? Here’s how to join!

A Kentucky Boy in the U.S Navy, 1958-1961

Reviewed by Diana L. Ahmad In his autobiography, Charles H. Bogart has provided readers with a thoroughly enjoyable look at his experiences in the United States Navy from 1958-1961. Written with a good sense of humor, the book provides an intimate look into the day-to-day experiences of young men on board the radar picket destroyer,

The Boys Next Door: A Marine Returns to Vietnam

Reviewed by Diana L. Ahmad In 1968-1969, R. L. Tecklenburg, the author, served as a U.S. Marine in a Combined Action Team (CAP) unit in the rural Phu Loc District.  Tecklenburg provided a brief autobiographical look at his year in Vietnam.  Since leaving Vietnam, the author searched for meaning in his experiences during the conflict. 

Son of Virginia

So why is the Naval Historical Foundation reviewing a major political figure’s autobiography, first published in 2015, now available in paperback, but with no direct connection to the sea services? For this reviewer, it comes down to Doug Wilder’s descriptions of personal character as honed especially by his mother and leadership forged on Old Baldy

BOOK REVIEW – Gumption: My Life – My Words

By Rear Adm. William Thompson, USN, (Ret.), Self-Published (2010) Reviewed by Cdr. Eric Dietrich-Berryman, USN (Ret.) “Billy, you will never amount to anything unless you get some gumption and some business in your head,” Bill Thompson’s grandfather admonished the 13-year old boy. But the old man had utterly failed to read the true measure of

BOOK REVIEW – An Officer’s Story: A Politico-Military Journey

By Steve Kime, Authorhouse, Bloomington, IN (2015) Reviewed by David F. Winkler, Ph.D. One of the benefits of managing Naval History Book Reviews is that I get first dibs on incoming titles. Two decades ago, I interviewed Captain Steve Kime regarding his involvement with the Incidents at Sea Agreement negotiations and execution. He shared some

BOOK REVIEW – The Accidental Admiral: A Sailor Takes Command at NATO

By Adm. James Stavridis, USN (Ret.), Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2014) Reviewed by Stephen Phillips Admiral James Stavridis is a prolific writer who is known for countless journal articles and several books that should be in every naval officer’s collection, such as Division Officer’s Guide, Destroyer Captain, and Command at Sea. Fans and followers

BOOK REVIEW – My Incredible Journey: From Cadet to Command

By Rear Admiral Peter Dingemans CB DSO, Royal Navy, Brewin Books Ltd, Studley, Warwickshire, England (2013) Reviewed by Captain John A. Rodgaard, U.S. Navy (Retired) In his autobiography, Rear Admiral Peter Dingemans writes about his service in the Royal Navy from his days as a cadet at the Britannia Royal Navy College through his assignment

potomac fever

BOOK REVIEW: Potomac Fever, A Memoir of Politics and Public Service

By J. William Middendorf II, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2011), 213 pages. Reviewed by Captain Roger F. Jones, USN (Ret) J. William Middendorf II was an undergraduate at Harvard when World War II began; he soon signed up for the Navy V-12 program and then shifted to NROTC (which took him to Holy Cross).