As a professor of history at the US Naval Academy, the director of
its museum, and the Academy archivist, Hagan has had ample
opportunity to examine the original documents that tell the story
of the US Navy. Here, he demonstrates just how thoroughly he has
taken advantage of his opportunities. The US Navy began in 1775
when the Continental Congress voted to outfit a schooner and a
sloop. But early successes on the seas soon induced Congress to
expand the fleet - and inspired 11 of the 13 states to launch
navies of their own. The early 19th century saw the development of
"gunboat diplomacy," when the Navy was the instrument for advancing
American nationalistic and commercial interests from the Barbary
Coast to Sumatra. When he discusses the Civil War, Hagan is
evenhanded: he praises the courageous David Farragut as well as the
extraordinary Raphael Semmes, who rampaged from the Gulf of Mexico
to the South China Sea, capturing 68 Union vessels. Before the turn
of the century, the Navy had shifted its emphasis from hit-and-run
tactics to battlefleets designed to control the seas through
massive decisive engagements. By 1948, it had gained complete
superiority over its rivals in Great Britain, Germany and Japan.
Since the Vietnam War, however, Congress and the nation seem to
have lost their interest in massive battlefleets; Hagan suggests
that the Navy of the 21st century is likely to be scaled back to an
almost solely defensive position, no longer advancing America's
transoceanic interests. A solid, informative history for the
nonspecialist. Hagan is not a great stylist (he's no John Keegan),
but he is clear and tells an interesting story. (Kirkus Reviews)
Kenneth J. Hagan pulls the curtain back for American civilians as
he shares a sweeping account of the country's naval experience.
Including the wooden Continental Navy to contemporary projections
of the service's high-tech mission in the next century, The
People's Navy shares the complete making and growth of America's
sea power. "...provides a clear, interesting, and through-provoking
introduction to the history of the American sea power and should be
read by all historians of the United States... This book will
provide standard interpretation for a long time to come." - Reviews
in American History
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