When Barbary pirates captured an obscure Yankee sailing brig off the coast of North Africa in 1812, enslaving eleven American sailors, President James Madison sent the largest American naval force ever gathered to that time, led by the heroic Commodore Stephen Decatur, to end Barbary terror once and for all. Drawing upon numerous ship logs, journals, love letters, and government documents, Frederick C. Leiner paints a vivid picture of the world of naval officers and diplomats in the early nineteenth century, as he recreates a remarkable and little known episode from the early American republic. Leiner first describes Madison's initial efforts at diplomacy, sending Mordecai Noah to negotiate. But when the ruler refused to ransom the Americans-"not for two millions of dollars"-Madison declared war and sent a fleet to North Africa. Decatur's squadron dealt quick blows to the Barbary navy, dramatically fighting and capturing two ships. Decatur then sailed to Algiers. He refused to go ashore to negotiate-indeed, he refused to negotiate on any essential point. The ruler of Algiers signed the treaty-in Decatur's words, "dictated at the mouths of our cannon"-in twenty-four hours. The United States would never pay tribute to the Barbary world again, and the captive Americans were set free. Here then is a real-life naval adventure that will thrill fans of Patrick O'Brian, a story of Islamic terrorism, white slavery, poison gas, diplomatic intrigue, and battles with pirates on the high seas.

The battle of Lepanto has long been considered one of the decisive naval battles of history. Yet, the savage fighting on Sunday, 7 October 1571 left the strategic map unchanged and the defeated Ottoman Turks were able to replace their losses and launch a new fleet the following year. Nic Fields re-examines the battle and concludes that, while it merely confirmed a strategic reality that had already emerged during the 16th century (i.e. that naval supremacy lay with the Sublime Porte in the eastern Mediterranean, and with Habsburg Spain and its Catholic allies in the western Mediterranean), it's vital importance was psychological. It sank the perception of Ottoman dominance and the inevitability of Islam's westward encroachment beyond the Balkans. With over 200 ships per side, it was the largest naval battle in sixteen centuries and the last major fight between fleets composed entirely of the muscle-driven galley. These slender ships were the direct descendants of the Classical trireme but carried cannon and marines bearing firearms, although massed archery and cold steel still played a major r le on the fateful day. Nic Fields gives an excellent account of this fascinating and spectacular battle.

For most of the twentieth century Britain possessed both the worlds largest merchant fleet and its most extensive overseas territories. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Royal Navy always showed a particular interest in the cruiser a multi-purpose warship needed in large numbers to defend trade routes and police the empire. Above all other types, the cruisers competing demands of quality and quantity placed a heavy burden on designers, and for most of the inter-war years Britain sought to square this circle through international treaties restricting both size and numbers. In the process she virtually invented the heavy cruiser and inspired the large 6in-armed cruiser, neither of which, ironically, served her best interests. For the first time this book seeks to comprehend the full policy background, from which a different and entirely original picture emerges of British cruiser development. After the war the cruisers role was reconsidered and the final chapters of the book cover modernisations, the plans for missile-armed ships and the convoluted process that turned the through-deck cruiser into the Invincible class light carriers. With detailed appendices of ship data, and illustrated in depth with photos and A D Bakers specially commissioned plans, British Cruisers truly matches the lofty standards set by Friedmans previous books on British destroyers. **'This is a sumptuous volume, providing a most authoritative and comprehensive review of British cruisers in the twentieth century. The book is beautifully laid out to Seaforth's traditional high standard.'** _Scuttlebutt_

From rubber landing boats to picket boats to minesweepers, smaller support vessels did much of the work of the Korean War, and endured many of the dangers and hardships. Rarely mentioned in histories of the war, they served functions essential to keeping the United States Navy and the United Nations partners in active duty. This volume delivers an overview of the various kinds of vessels involved, the difficulties of mobilizing the aging American fleet at a time when a significant downsizing had been expected, and the design and specification considerations of the support vessels needed for the new war effort. It lists the individual support vessels and details the degree of their involvement, often providing photographs as well as comments from men who served aboard the ships.

Beginning with interviews with the last surviving drill instructors of World War II, this powerful oral history offers the voices of veterans from every major war of the last sixty years, concluding with accounts of what it takes to train marines for Iraq today. "The Few and the Proud" contains revelatory details about the vicious training techniques used to prepare marines for the great battles against Japan in the Pacific; the Ribbon Creek training disaster of the 1950s; and legendary stories by the likes of Iwo Jima veteran "Iron" Mike Mervosh and R. Lee Ermey, the infamous drill instructor from "Full Metal Jacket." With death-defying accounts relayed from the MCRD in San Diego and the legendary Parris Island, "The Few and the Proud" is both a personal history of the 230-year-old U.S. Marine Corps and a repository of heroism, leadership, and determination in the toughest division of the United States military.

On March 8 and 9, 1862, a sea battle off the Virginia coast changed naval warfare forever. It began when the Confederate States Navyas CSS Virginia led a task force to break the Union blockade of Hampton Roads. The Virginia sank the USS Cumberland and forced the frigate Congress to surrender. Damaged by shore batteries, the Virginia retreated, returning the next day to find her way blocked by the newly arrived USS Monitor. The clash of ironclads was underway. After fighting for nine hours, both ships withdrew, neither seriously damaged, with both sides claiming victory. Although the battle may have been a draw and the Monitor sank in a storm later that year, this first encounter between powered, ironclad warships spelled the end of wooden warshipsaand the dawn of a new navy. This book takes a new look at this historic battle. The ten original essays, written by leading historians, explore every aspect of the battleafrom the building of the warships and life aboard these airon coffinsa to tactics, strategy, and the debates about who really won the battle of Hampton Roads. Co-published with The Marinersa Museum, home to the USS Monitor Center, this authoritative guide to the military, political, technological, and cultural dimensions of this historic battle also features a portfolio of classic lithographs, drawings, and paintings. Harold Holzer is one of the countryas leading experts on the Civil War. His books include Lincoln and Cooper Union: The Speech That Made Abraham Lincoln President and, for Fordham, Lincoln on Democracy (co-edited with Mario M. Cuomo) and The Lincoln-Douglas Debates: The Complete, Unexpurgated Text. Tim Mulligan's books include Virginia: A History and Guide.

On the night of 13/14 October 1939, the Type VIIB U-boat U-47, on its second War Patrol, penetrated the main Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow and sank the British battleship HMS Royal Oak. This legendary attack is remembered as one of the most audacious raids in the history of submarine warfare. Laid down on 25 February 1937, and entering service in December 1938 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See, later Kapitanleutnant Gunther Prien, after sinking HMS Royal Oak both Prien and his famous U-boat were known thereafter as 'The Bull of Scapa Flow'. During a lavish celebration in Berlin to mark the sinking of HMS Royal Oak, the crew members of U-47 were received by Adolf Hitler. For his part, Prien received the Knight's Cross, becoming the first U-boat officer and only the second member of the Kriegsmarine to receive this decoration. Still under Prien's command, U-47 returned to sea on 16 November 1939. Over the months that followed, U-47 went on to complete a total of ten war patrols. During these, Prien and his crew sank a total of thirty-one Allied ships and damaged eight more, making it one of the most successful U-boats of the Second World War. As a central figure in the Battle of the Atlantic, Prien was consistently at the heart of events until he was lost on board U-47 in March 1941. U-47 had departed Lorient on her tenth and last patrol on 20 February 1941. She went missing on 7 March 1941. In this remarkably detailed account, the author charts the full story of U-47, its commander and crew. As well as examining all the main events in each of U-47's ten War Patrols, particularly the attack on HMS Royal Oak, for which a number of important new conclusions are explored, as is U-47's final fate.

Indianapolis is the thrilling true story of the greatest naval disaster in United States history - the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis during World War II - and the fight for survival and redemption that followed. Four days after delivering the components of the world's first atomic bomb to the island of Tinian, the Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, with nearly 900 men lost. Those who survived endured starvation, dehydration and shark attacks as they waited to be rescued. From a crew of 1,196 men, only 317 survived - the biggest single loss of life at sea to be suffered by the United States navy. When the remaining crew were finally rescued, the ship's captain, Charles B. McVay III, was wrongly court-martialled for negligence over the sinking. Decades after these events, the survivors of the Indianapolis, as well as the Japanese submarine commander who sank it, joined together to finally exonerate McVay. Extraordinary courage, terrible tragedy and the fight for justice: in Indianapolis, the true story is revealed. 'Extraordinary...serious naval history and a detective story, told with passion.' The Times 'Vividly detailed...compelling yet comprehensive.' Los Angeles Times 'Simply outstanding.' Booklist (starred review) 'Gripping... This yarn has it all.' USA Today

More than one hundred years after the battle of Jutland, the first and largest engagement of Dreadnoughts in the twentieth century, historians are still fighting this controversial and misunderstood battle. What was in fact a strategic victory stands out starkly against the background of bitter public disappointment in the Royal Navy and decades of divisive acrimony and very public infighting between the camps supporting the two most senior commanders, Jellicoe and Beatty. This book not only re-tells the story of the battle from both a British and German perspective based on the latest research, but it also helps clarify the context of Germany's inevitable naval clash. It then traces the bitter dispute that ensued in the years after the smoke of war had cleared; right up to his death in 1935, Admiral Jellicoe was embroiled in what became known as the Jutland Controversy. Nick Jellicoe is uniquely placed to tell the story of Jutland. His naval connections are strong: his father, the second Earl served as First Lord of the Admiralty while his grandfather, Sir John Jellicoe commanded the Grand Fleet for the first two years on the war, from 1914 to 1916, and was famously described by Churchill as being the only man who could have lost the war in an afternoon. This new paperback edition has been completely revised and offers the best and most balanced account of the battle available and can be read alongside the author's interactive website. 'This is a marvellously enthralling account . . that combines academic thoroughness with a unique element of personal observation. I found it totally absorbing and cannot recommend it highly enough.' _Warship World_

Prior to World War II, the United States's war plans were code-named by color. Japan was Orange and the United States was Blue. Miller (a retired business executive) spent over 15 years researching the plan that was used to defeat Japan. He states that the plan was . . . history's most successful war plan . . . . The prewar plans of other great powers proved, by and large, to be costly failures. Miller also gives insights into the impact of the officers who hammered out War Plan Orange: the realists and adventurists, or the cautionaries and thrusters. This is an important book for anyone wishing to understand the methods of American war planning, and it is the only book on War Plan Orange. Miller's writing style and lucid explanations make the book suitable for most readers, even though it is clearly for scholars and specialists in the field. Recommended for most academic libraries and for public libraries where there is a strong interest in World War II in the Pacific.

The story of the British Eastern Fleet, which operated in the Indian Ocean against Japan, has rarely been told. Although it was the largest fleet deployed by the Royal Navy prior to 1945 and played a vital part in the theatre it was sent to protect, it has no place in the popular consciousness of the naval history of the Second World War. So Charles Stephenson's deeply researched and absorbing narrative gives this forgotten fleet the recognition it deserves. British pre-war naval planning for the Far East is part of the story, as is the disastrous loss of the battleship Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Repulse in 1941, but the body of the book focuses on the new fleet, commanded by Admiral Sir James Somerville, and its operations against the Japanese navy and aircraft as well as Japanese and German submarines. Later in the war, once the fleet had been reinforced with an American aircraft carrier, it was strong enough to take more aggressive actions against the Japanese, and these are described in vivid detail. Charles Stephenson's authoritative study should appeal to readers who have a special interest in the war with Japan, in naval history more generally and Royal Navy in particular.

In the island battles of World War II, the United States Marine Corps came into its own. From a force previously numbering 55,000, the ranks of the Marines swelled to 480,000. With Pacific theater command essentially divided geographically between General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, these forces found themselves under the command of the Army or Navy depending on their particular location. On land and at sea, the contribution which the six Marine divisions made to the Allied victory in the Pacific cannot be ignored. Concentrating on the infantry units, this volume provides a brief history of each of the six Marine divisions which took part in the Pacific conflict. Beginning with a chronology of the war in the Pacific, it succinctly describes each campaign through the eyes of a specified division, focusing on the division's exact movements and actions. Some battles and operations are covered from different perspectives because of the presence of multiple divisions. A final section contains brief biographical sketches of key players in the Pacific arena. Extensive maps and photographs are also included.

"Huchthausen knows the hidden history of the Cuban Missile Crisis. . . . Contains a number of startling revelations. . . . Fascinating."–Tom Clancy

"Excellent. . . . Clearly and engagingly reflect[s] the young officer’s confidence and enthusiasm–and even glee–during his adventure. . . . Colorful and exciting."–Associated Press

The Cuban Missile Crisis was the defining moment of the Cold War. Yet one aspect of that drama–the naval confrontation between the U.S. and Soviet submarines off the coast of Cuba, in October of 1962–has, until now, received scant attention. Written by a naval officer who was there, October Fury vividly recreates that fateful encounter, from both the American and Russian points of view. Based on recently declassified Soviet naval records and interviews conducted with his Russian counterparts, Peter Huchthausen recounts in harrowing detail the dramatic events and reveals for the first time just how close we came to nuclear war at sea.

Captain Peter A. Huchthausen, U.S. Navy (Retired), (Hiram, ME), served as Electronics Materials Officer and a watch officer aboard the USS Blandy when it took part in the quarantine of Cuba in 1962.

In this work, two senior naval historians analyze the discussions held in leading Soviet political, military, and naval circles concerning naval strategy and the decisions taken for warship-building programmes. They describe the reconstitution of the fleet under difficult conditions from the end of the Civil War up to the mid-1920s, leading to a change from classical naval strategy to a Jeune ecole model in the first two Five-Year Plans, including efforts to obtain foreign assistance in the design of warships and submarines. Their aim is to explain the reasons for the sudden change in 1935 to begin building a big ocean-going fleet. After a period of co-operation with Germany from 1939-41, the plans came to a halt when Hitler attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. Finally, this work covers the reopening of the naval planning processes in 1944 and 1945 and the discussions of the naval leadership with Stalin, the party and government officials about the direction of the new building programmes as the Cold War began.

Originally published in 1998 and a best seller in its hardcover and paperback publications, Blind Man's Bulff is a dramatic, and riveting history. Over the course of five years, investigative reporters Sherry Sontag and Chris Drew interviewed hundreds of men who had never spoken about their underwater lives,not even to their wives and children. They uncovered a wealth of classified information: the tapping of undersea Soviet telephone cables, the stealing of Soviet weapons, the tragic collisions of enemy submarines. They tell of medals awarded in secret and deaths disguised with disinformation. Blind Man's Bluff is a critical work of history that reads with all the excitement of a Tom Clancy novel and all the tragedy of Das Boot.

European Navies and the Conduct of War considers the different contexts within which European navies operated over a period of 500 years culminating in World War Two, the greatest war ever fought at sea. Taking a predominantly continental point of view, the book moves away from the typically British-centric approach taken to naval history as it considers the role of European navies in the development of modern warfare, from its medieval origins to the large-scale, industrial, total war of the twentieth century. Along with this growth of navies as instruments of war, the book also explores the long rise of the political and popular appeal of navies, from the princes of late medieval Europe, to the enthusiastic crowds that greeted the modern fleets of the great powers, followed by their reassessment through their great trial by combat, firmly placing the development of modern navies into the broader history of the period. Chronological in structure, European Navies and the Conduct of War is an ideal resource for students and scholars of naval and military history.

"Ashore and Afloat" tells the early history of the Halifax Naval Yard. From the building of the yard and its expansion, to the people involved in the enterprise, to the nuts and bolts of buying the masts and paying the bills, Julian Gwyn's history of the Halifax Naval Yard leaves no stone unturned. Dozens of illustrations and copious appendices, including a biographical directory, accompany this compelling history.

Hiram Iddings Bearss was a legendary U.S. Marine whose 20-year career showed outstanding service to the United States in a variety of historically significant locations and periods. His comrades included Smedley Butler, Frederick Fritz Wise, and David Porter, and he was admired by many others, including General Pershing. He was awarded every American medal of consequence (including the Medal of Honor for actions at the Sohoton Cliffs in 1901 and a Distinguished Service Cross for his command of the 102nd Infantry at Marcheville in 1918), as well as a host of important foreign decorations. This biography recounts his life and career, providing intimate details of crucial historical events. It also explores the psychology of a man whose uncompromising and sometimes destructive personality helped his many enemies block his advancement. Highly respected by others, he was known for believing a commander should never send his men where he himself would not go; he was a brave man dedicated to his beloved Corps with few reservations. An opening chapter covers Bearss' ancestry, birth in 1875, and youth in Indiana. The main text covers his actions in various Marine campaigns, from early service in the Philippines and the Caribbean to World War I action in France, where he served as part of the 4th Marine Brigade and commanded the 102nd Infantry and the 51st Brigade. The concluding chapters cover his retirement and 1938 death in an automobile collision. Appendices include lists of those who served under him, his awards, and relevant military reports.

This is the first book to attempt a comprehensive analysis of the state of Spain's naval forces in the years following the defeat of the Great Armada in 1588 and during the seventeenth century. This was a period in which all of Europe's maritime powers were attaching increasing importance to naval warfare in their bid to topple Spain and to seize the rich pickings of her vast empire. The book is not, however, about naval battles and tactics. It is a study of the political, social, economic and technological conditions that influenced the character and performance of the Spanish navy. Based on hitherto untapped material in national and local Spanish archives, the book's findings throw new light on the conservation of Spain's timber resources, naval funding, recruitment and the status of the Spanish seaman.

"Ashore and Afloat" tells the early history of the Halifax Naval Yard. From the building of the yard and its expansion, to the people involved in the enterprise, to the nuts and bolts of buying the masts and paying the bills, Julian Gwyn's history of the Halifax Naval Yard leaves no stone unturned. Dozens of illustrations and copious appendices, including a biographical directory, accompany this compelling history.

In 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) went to war with a marginal anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability. This was a lamentable state of affairs for a nation dependent upon imports to sustain its war economy. There were only a few purpose-built ASW escorts available at the start of the war and these were augmented by a handful of second-class destroyers and a dozen torpedo boats. Once the magnitude of the threat to Japan's shipping became fully apparent in 1943, the IJN made plans for mass production of ASW escorts. These arrived in 1944, but could not stop the massacre of Japanese shipping by increasingly bold and effective American submarines. This volume will detail the history, weapons and tactics of the IJN's ASW escorts. These include the Momi class of second-rate destroyers, the Tomodzuru and Ootori classes of torpedo boars, and the several types of ASW escorts built from 1937 up to the end of the war.

Although historians of the French Revolution have paid it little attention, the French navy provides a striking illustration of the impact of the new ideology of Popular Sovereignty. This book examines the navy's involvement in political conflict from 1789 to 1794 and charts the evolution of a struggle between opposing definitions of authority in France. The fleet depended on the support of executive power. In 1789 royal government collapsed in the face of defiance from the National Assembly, but Popular Sovereignty was not confined to the legislature. The struggle between competing claims to represent the National Will lay behind the fleet's surrender at Toulon in 1793 and the mutiny at Quiberon Bay. Sent to Brest to save the Republic's navy, Jeanbon Saint-Andre sought to restrict Popular Sovereignty in the context of the Terror. Thus this 1995 study presents a revisionist interpretation of the nature of revolutionary politics.

Praise for The Rescue

"Steven Trent Smith grapples boldly with several big subjects: the Japanese occupation of the Philippines; the capture of Japan’s ‘Z Plan’ (the decisive-battle strategy for destroying the U.S. Pacific Fleet); the rescue by submarine of forty Americans stranded in the Philippines; the climactic Battle of the Philippine Sea. Meticulously researched and well written, The Rescue ties these elements together into an epic that is emotionally engaging from start to rousing finish."
–Martin Russ, author of Breakout and The Last Parallel

"Smith’s thoroughly researched, detailed account of the brave American and Filipino guerrillas on Negros Island in the Philippines will do much to introduce readers to this little known aspect of World War II in the Pacific. . . . This is a fascinating story well told."
–Elizabeth Norman, author of the award-winning We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of American Nurses Trapped on Bataan by the Japanese

"The Rescue is a delightful journey with the gallant few who resisted the Japanese occupation of the Philippines and who shaped the larger events wh ich led to victory in the Pacific. Smith’s brilliant research and unique storytelling make this account a must for all who enjoy history and a grand adventure."
–Peter Huchthausen, author of October Fury

"With a photojournalist’s eye for action and detail, Steven Trent Smith’s The Rescue is a remarkable achievement. The incredible mission to save forty Americans stranded in the Philippines reads more like a work of fiction. . . . A must-read for all those interested in one of the great secret submarine operations of World War II and all action adventure fans alike!"
–Richard P. Henrick, author of Crimson Tide and Nightwatch

"Huchthausen knows the hidden history of the Cuban missile crisis . . . October Fury contains startling revelations."
–– TOM CLANCY

Drama on the high seas as the world holds its breath

It was the most spectacular display of brinkmanship in the Cold War era. In October 1962, President Kennedy risked inciting a nuclear war to prevent the Soviet Union from establishing missile bases in Cuba. The risk, however, was far greater than Kennedy realized.

October Fury uncovers startling new information about the Cuban missile crisis and the potentially calamitous confrontation between U.S. Navy destroyers and Soviet submarines in the Atlantic. Peter Huchthausen, who served as a junior ensign aboard one of the destroyers, reveals that a single shot fired by any U.S. warship could have led to an immediate nuclear response from the Soviet submarines.

This riveting account re-creates those desperate days of confrontation from both the American and Russian points of view and discloses detailed information about Soviet operational plans and the secret orders given to submarine commanders. It provides an engrossing, behind-the-scenes look at the technical and tactical functions of two great navies along with stunning portraits of the officers and sailors on both sides who were determined to do their duty even in the most extreme circumstances.

As absorbing and detailed as a Tom Clancy novel, this real-life suspense thriller is destined to become a classic of naval literature.