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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > Naval forces & warfare
Starting in 1952, the United States Navy and Coast Guard actively
recruited Filipino men to serve as stewards--domestic servants for
officers. Oral histories and detailed archival research inform P.
James Paligutan's story of the critical role played by Filipino
sailors in putting an end to race-based military policies.
Constrained by systemic exploitation, Filipino stewards responded
with direct complaints to flag officers and chaplains, rating
transfer requests that flooded the bureaucracy, and refusals to
work. Their actions had a decisive impact on seagoing military's
elimination of the antiquated steward position. Paligutan looks at
these Filipino sailors as agents of change while examining the
military system through the lens of white supremacy, racist
perceptions of Asian males, and the motives of Filipinos who joined
the armed forces of the power that had colonized their nation.
Insightful and dramatic, Lured by the American Dream is the untold
story of how Filipino servicepersons overcame tradition and
hierarchy in their quest for dignity.
Striking the Hornets' Nest provides the first extensive analysis of
the Northern Bombing Group (NBG), the Navy's most innovative
aviation initiative of World War I and one of the world's first
dedicated strategic bombing programs. Very little has been written
about the Navy's aviation activities in World War I and even less
on the NBG. Standard studies of strategic bombing tend to focus on
developments in the Royal Air Force or the U.S. Army Air Service.
This work concentrates on the origins of strategic bombing in World
War I, and the influence this phenomenon had on the Navy's future
use of the airplane. The NBG program faced enormous logistical and
personnel challenges. Demands for aircraft, facilities, and
personnel were daunting, and shipping shortages added to the
seemingly endless delays in implementing the program. Despite the
impediments, the Navy (and Marine Corps) triumphed over
organizational hurdles and established a series of bases and depots
in northern France and southern England in the late summer and
early fall of 1918. Ironically, by the time the Navy was ready to
commence bombing missions, the German retreat had caused
abandonment of the submarine bases the NBG had been created to
attack. The men involved in this program were pioneers, overcoming
major obstacles only to find they were no longer needed. Though the
Navy rapidly abandoned its use of strategic bombing after World War
I, their brief experimentation directed the future use of aircraft
in other branches of the armed forces. It is no coincidence that
Robert Lovett, the young Navy reserve officer who developed much of
the NBG program in 1918, spent the entire period of World War II as
Assistant Secretary of War for Air where he played a crucial role
organizing and equipping the strategic bombing campaign unleashed
against Germany and Japan. Rossano and Wildenberg have provided a
definitive study of the NBG, a subject that has been overlooked for
too long.
A first hand account of the German U-boat battles of World War II,
by one of the very few surviving commanders. This is a story of
triumph, disaster and eventual survival against all odds. Herbert
Werner was one of the few U-boat commanders whose skill, daring and
incredible luck saw him safely through to the end of the war. His
is an epic and chilling description of the fearful havoc wrought by
one small U-boat on the Atlantic convoys. But easy success ebbed
away in the face of ever-improving Allied detection and attack
techniques. The hunters became the prey, to suffer appalling
losses. Of 842 U-boats launched 779 were sunk, 'iron-coffins' to
28,000 men. Herbert Werner's graphic account of war waged from
beneath the sea, of horror and cold, cruel death, is dedicated to
the seamen of all nations who died in the Battle of the Atlantic.
In the early nineteenth century, the United States of America was
far from united. The United States faced internal strife over the
extent of governance and the rights of individual states. The
United States' relationship with their former colonial power was
also uncertain. Britain impressed American sailors and supported
Native Americans' actions in the northwest and on the Canadian
border. In the summer of 1812, President James Madison chose to go
to war against Britain. War in the Chesapeake illustrates the
causes for the War of 1812, the political impacts of the war on
America, and the war effort in the Chesapeake Bay. The book
examines the early war efforts, when both countries focused efforts
on Canada and the Northwest front. Some historians claim Madison
chose to go to war in an attempt to annex the neighbouring British
territories. The book goes on to discuss the war in the Chesapeake
Bay. The British began their Chesapeake campaign in an effort to
relieve pressure on their defences in Canada. Rear Admiral George
Cockburn led the resulting efforts, and began to terrorize the
towns of the Chesapeake. From Norfolk to Annapolis, the British
forces raided coastal towns, plundering villages for supplies and
encouraging slaves to join the British forces. The British also
actively campaigned against the large American frigates- seeing
them as the only threat to their own naval superiority. War in the
Chesapeake traces these British efforts on land and sea. It also
traces the Americans' attempts to arm and protect the region while
the majority of the American regular forces fought on the Northwest
front. In the summer campaign of 1814, the British trounced the
Americans at Bladensburg, and burned Washington, D.C. Afterwards,
the Baltimoreans shocked the British with a stalwart defence at
Fort McHenry. The British leaders, Vice Admiral Sir Alexander
Cochrane and Major General Robert Ross, did not expect strong
resistance after their quick victories at Bladensburg. War in the
Chesapeake tells the story of some of the earliest national heroes,
including the defenders of Baltimore and naval leaders like John
Rodgers and Stephen Decatur. The following December 1814, the
United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent, ending
hostilities and returning North America to a peaceful status quo.
The United States and neighbouring Canada would not go to war on
opposing sides again. The United States left the war slightly more
unified and independent of the British.
National Service, Britain's name for conscription, existed between
1945 and 1963. In that time, two and a half million men were
required to serve for two years with the armed forces. For some, it
was a miserable penance. For the majority, it was just something
that had to be done but for a lucky few, of whom the author was
one, it was a time of travel and adventure. Following a six-year
medical degree, with a further year of houseman posts, he chose to
serve his conscription in the Royal Navy. However, the Navy
required only a small number of doctors and selection was by
interview in London. Being young, single and tired of the
stultifying life of a student, the author opted for a posting in
small ships abroad and was delighted to be accepted. The result was
a mixture of travel and excitement with cheerful and lively
companions in far-flung places including Borneo, Japan, Korea and
Hong Kong. As the time for his National Service drew nearer he was
unsure of which of the many paths within medicine he was to take.
As will be seen, the forthcoming months were to be useful in
reaching a decision. This exuberant story is recounted from notes
and letters and commences with the author's time at the Edinburgh
Royal Infirmary. 'Put him up in modified Russell Traction,' said
the senior surgical registrar, 'and I will pin him in the morning.'
Modified Russell Traction? My fellow house surgeon and I had no
idea what he meant...Thus began a medical adventure.
These essays from the journal "International Security" cover
aspects of past and present naval technologies and explore current
disputes over American naval doctrine. Four of the
contributions--those by Linton Brooks, John Mearsheimer, Barry
Posen, and Joshua Epstein--describe the case for and against the
Reagan administration's controversial Maritime Strategy, which has
formed the basis for the administration's buildup to a
six-hundred-ship navy. Other articles describe Soviet naval
doctrine, assess the risk of nuclear war at sea, and outline the
evolution of major naval technologies and doctrines.
Part I: Naval Strategy Planning a Navy: The Risks of
Conventional Wisdom R. James Woolsey Naval Power and National
Security: The Case for the Maritime Strategy Linton F. Brooks A
Strategic Misstep: The Maritime Strategy and Deterrence in Europe
John J. Mearsheimer Horizontal Escalation: Sour Notes of a
Recurrent Theme Joshua M. Epstein Naval Power and Soviet Global
Strategy Michael MccGwire Part II: Naval Technology Technology and
the Evolution of Naval Warfare Karl Lautenschlager Will Strategic
Submarines Be Vulnerable? Richard L. Garwin The Submarine in Naval
Warfare, 1901=2001 Karl Lautenschlager Stopping the Sea-Based
Counterforce Threat Harold A. Feiveson and John Duffield Part III:
Naval Operations--Controlling the Risks Nuclear War at Sea Desmond
Ball Inadvertent Nuclear War? Escalation and NATO's Northern Flank
Barry R. Posen A Quiet Success for Arms Control: Preventing
Incidents at Sea Sean M. Lynn-Jones
Originally published in 1988.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand
technology to again make available previously out-of-print books
from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press.
These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these
important books while presenting them in durable paperback
editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly
increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the
thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since
its founding in 1905.
Hunters and Killers is the first comprehensive history of all
aspects of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) from its beginnings in the
18th century through the important role of present anti-submarine
systems and operations. Published in two volumes, the work
discusses anti-submarine warfare operations in World War I, World
War II, the Cold War, and today. In addition to tactical and
strategic narratives of major ASW campaigns, the work covers the
evolution of ASW sensors, weapons, platforms, and tactics. This
first volume looks at the often ignored reaction to the earliest
submersible attack on British warships in 1776 to the first,
primitive ASW actions of World War I. World War I saw the Germans
use U-boats to devastate British shipping, nearly driving the
country out of the war. Here the authors look at the development of
the innovative, but rudimentary sensors and weapons that the Allies
used to counter the U-boat threats in the Atlantic and
Mediterranean theaters. Still, the U-boats were never completely
defeated in the Great War, and the ensuing chapters about the two
decades between the world wars narrate the development of sonar,
radar, and ASW ships, as well as changing political attitudes
toward undersea warfare. The remainder of the first volume covers
the first half of World War II's Battle of the Atlantic, from
September 1939 to the U-boat crisis in the spring of 1943. This
section discusses the influence of intelligence, gained mainly
through cryptography, on the Battle of the Atlantic. Polmar and
Whitman have created a thorough, well-researched reference for
anyone interested in the development of ASW.
The history of the 374th Troop Carrier Group written and is now
published as a result of hundreds of requests from members of the
group. their feeling toward their World War II organization was one
of loyalty, love, and a strong desire to have their accomplishments
recorded for history and posterity. Most men and women who
performed deeds of valor in war were not writers. It was necessary
for others to record their great deeds in combat operations.Â
Most of the material in this book is supported by solid evidence of
facts. The prime source of the raw material emanated from official
documents, on-the-spot writing by individual officers, and men who
had the ability to write short articles and essays of the events in
which they were a part. Further, official orders and detail records
at the squadron level provided precise times and places of events
for accuracy of information. Occasional newspaper articles written
by seasoned war correspondents provided background information and
scenes and events by trained and qualified observers for national
and international distribution. Every effort was made to check and
recheck information which was not officially documented by military
authorities. The sources of many of the officers and men of the
374th still living were tapped to their limits. Literally hundreds
of telephone calls were made to likely sources of information
through contacts emanating from the numerous squadron, group and
wing reunions held periodically since WWII.
Dramatic, illustrated account of the biggest naval battle of the
First World War. On 31 May, 1916, the great battle fleets of
Britain and Germany met off Jutland in the North Sea. It was a
climactic encounter, the culmination of a fantastically expensive
naval race between the two countries, and expectations on both
sides were high. For the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet, there was the
chance to win another Trafalgar. For the German High Seas Fleet,
there was the opportunity to break the British blockade and so
change the course of the war. But Jutland was a confused and
controversial encounter. Tactically, it was a draw; strategically,
it was a British victory. Naval historians have pored over the
minutiae of Jutland ever since. Yet they have largely ignored what
the battle was actually like for its thousands of participants.
Full of drama and pathos, of chaos and courage, JUTLAND, 1916
describes the sea battle in the dreadnought era from the point of
view of those who were there.
In early 1918, it seemed to many that the British people and the
Allies were close to defeat. At home, the chief culprit was the
German U-boat. Sailing almost unopposed from the North Sea ports of
Zeebrugge and Ostend, the submarines were taking a heavy toll on
Allied shipping, and no one seemed to be doing anything about it.
The job eventually went to Vice Admiral Roger Keyes, 'The Modern
Nelson', who had a long record of close action with enemies from
China to the Heligoland Bight. Equally, he was unafraid of those
senior to him whom he considered to be incompetent. Within days of
his appointment Keyes had put together an audacious plan to sink
blockships in the enemy-held ports. However, his success, along
with the eleven VCs won in the battles, led his detractors to play
down his achievement, even by using German propaganda against him.
This entirely new account, containing groundbreaking research and
rare illustrations throughout, at last sets the record straight
about these important engagements.
"Meet my hero--Eric Greitens. His life and this book remind us that
America remains the land of the brave and generous." -- Tom Brokaw
Like many young idealists, Eric Greitens wanted to make a
difference, so he traveled to the world's trouble spots to work in
refugee camps and serve the sick and the poor. Yet when innocent
civilians were threatened with harm, there was nothing he could do
but step in afterward and try to ease the suffering. In studying
humanitarianism, he realized a fundamental truth: when an army
invades, the weak need protection. So he joined the Navy SEALs and
became one of the world's elite warriors.
Greitens led his men through the unforgettable soul-testing of SEAL
training and went on to deployments in Kenya, Afghanistan, and
Iraq, where he faced harrowing encounters and brutal attacks. Yet
even in the deadliest combat situations, the lessons of his
humanitarian work bore fruit. At the heart of this powerful story
lies a paradox: sometimes you have to be strong to do good, but you
also have to do good to be strong. The heart and the fist together
are more powerful than either one alone.
"If you're restless or itching for some calling you can't name,
read this book. Give it to your son and daughter. "The Heart and
the Fist "epitomizes -- as does Mr. Greitens's life, present and
future -- all that is best in this country, and what we need
desperately right now." -- Steven Pressfield, author of "Gates of
Fire"
"Vivid and compelling . . . a great read." -- "Washington Times"
A Hudson Booksellers Top Ten Nonfiction Book of the Year
A "USA Today" and "Publishers Weekly" Bestseller
WITH A NEW AFTERWORD
As nurses, `Jenny Wrens', and above all as wives and mothers, women
have quietly kept the Royal Navy afloat throughout history. From
its earliest years, women maintained homes and families while men
battled at sea, providing vital support behind the scenes. Later
they also ran maritime businesses and worked as civilians in naval
offices and dockyards. From 1884, women were able to serve as
nurses in the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service and,
from 1917, they became members of the Women's Royal Naval Service.
The outbreak of both world wars gave women special opportunities
and saw the role of women as Wrens, nursing sisters, VADs and
medics change and develop. In more recent times, the development of
equal rights legislation has fundamentally changed naval life:
women are now truly in the navy and do `men's jobs' at sea. Using
previously-unpublished first-hand material, this is the first book
to reflect all the diverse roles that women have played in Royal
Navy services. Jo Stanley situates women's naval activities within
a worldwide context of women who worked, travelled and explored new
options. This book provides vital new perspectives on both women's
military history and the wider history of women who desired to work
on or near the sea.
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