PDF Download Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, by Craig L. Symonds
Guides Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds, from simple to complex one will certainly be a really helpful works that you can require to change your life. It will not offer you unfavorable declaration unless you don't obtain the meaning. This is definitely to do in reviewing a publication to conquer the meaning. Generally, this book qualified Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds is checked out since you truly similar to this type of publication. So, you can get simpler to understand the impression and definition. Again to consistently remember is by reviewing this publication Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds, you can satisfy hat your curiosity beginning by finishing this reading publication.
Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, by Craig L. Symonds
PDF Download Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, by Craig L. Symonds
Invest your time even for only couple of minutes to review an e-book Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds Reading a publication will certainly never decrease and waste your time to be pointless. Reviewing, for some people become a requirement that is to do everyday such as hanging out for eating. Now, just what concerning you? Do you prefer to review a book? Now, we will show you a new book entitled Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds that could be a new method to check out the understanding. When reviewing this e-book, you could obtain something to consistently keep in mind in every reading time, even detailed.
As one of guide compilations to recommend, this Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds has some strong factors for you to read. This book is really suitable with exactly what you require now. Besides, you will certainly additionally love this book Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds to review considering that this is among your referred books to read. When going to get something brand-new based upon experience, amusement, and also other lesson, you could use this book Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds as the bridge. Starting to have reading routine can be gone through from different ways and also from alternative types of books
In reading Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds, now you might not likewise do traditionally. In this modern era, gizmo and also computer will certainly aid you so much. This is the moment for you to open up the device as well as stay in this website. It is the appropriate doing. You can see the connect to download this Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds below, can not you? Simply click the link and negotiate to download it. You can reach purchase the book Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds by on-line and prepared to download and install. It is really various with the old-fashioned method by gong to guide shop around your city.
Nonetheless, reviewing the book Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds in this site will lead you not to bring the published book anywhere you go. Just save the book in MMC or computer disk and they are readily available to check out whenever. The prosperous air conditioner by reading this soft file of the Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds can be introduced something new routine. So currently, this is time to confirm if reading could enhance your life or not. Make Decision At Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History, By Craig L. Symonds it certainly function and also get all benefits.
From thunderous broadsides traded between wooden sailing ships on Lake Erie, to the carrier battles of World War II, to the devastating high-tech action in the Persian Gulf, here is a gripping history of five key battles that defined the evolution of naval warfare--and the course of the American nation.
Acclaimed military historian Craig Symonds offers spellbinding narratives of crucial engagements, showing how each battle reveals the transformation of technology and weaponry from one war to the next; how these in turn transformed naval combat; and how each event marked a milestone in American history.
- Oliver Hazard Perry's heroic victory at Lake Erie, one of the last great battles of the Age of Sail, which secured the Northwestern frontier for the United States
- The brutal Civil War duel between the ironclads Monitor and Virginia, which sounded the death knell for wooden-hulled warships and doomed the Confederacy's hope of besting the Union navy
- Commodore Dewey's stunning triumph at Manila Bay in 1898, where the U.S. displayed its "new navy" of steel-hulled ships firing explosive shells and wrested an empire from a fading European power
- The hairsbreadth American victory at Midway, where aircraft carriers launched planes against enemies 200 miles away--and where the tide of World War II turned in the space of a few furious minutes
- Operation Praying Mantis in the Persian Gulf, where computers, ship-fired missiles, and "smart bombs" not only changed the nature of warfare at sea, but also marked a new era, and a new responsibility, for the United States.
Symonds records these encounters in detail so vivid that readers can hear the wind in the rigging and feel the pounding of the guns. Yet he places every battle in a wide perspective, revealing their significance to America's development as it grew from a new Republic on the edge of a threatening frontier to a global superpower.
Decision at Sea is a powerful and illuminating look at pivotal moments in the history of the Navy and of the United States. It is also a compelling study of the unchanging demands of leadership at sea, where commanders must make rapid decisions in the heat of battle with lives--and the fate of nations--hanging in the balance.
- Sales Rank: #770051 in Books
- Published on: 2006-10-23
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 5.80" h x 1.10" w x 8.60" l, 1.18 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 400 pages
From Booklist
A distinguished specialist in naval history and the Civil War studies five decisive moments in American naval history. In the Battle of Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry's modest fleet prevented a British invasion of the Northwest. The Civil War duel between the Monitor and the virginia touched off a building race in ironclads, something that the Confederacy couldn't possibly win. At the Battle of Manila Bay, Commodore George Dewey's victory proved the potential of the new steel-shell-firing navy and opened the way to American overseas expansion. In World War II, the Battle of Midway, if it didn't necessarily prevent a Japanese victory, certainly sped an American one and proved the worth of the carrier-based aviation that has been America's major maritime striking arm ever since. Finally, Operation Praying Mantis in the Persian Gulf proved that when one goes closer inshore, attackers lacking command of the air can still use missiles to noteworthy effect. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"Symonds is the consummate storyteller, creating powerful images.... The whole book is an effortless read, presenting a natural flow of history beginning with the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 and ending with Operation Praying Mantis in 1988."--Linda Wheeler, Washington Post
"A riveting account of the morphing of the United States Navy from its humble beginnings in the forests and lakes of the North American wilderness to an awesome and overwhelming strike force that cements the United States' position as the world's remaining superpower and de facto policeman."--Proceedings (The United States Naval Institute)
"Without question, Decision at Sea is a riveting, well-researched account of the U.S. Navy in action. Historian Craig Symonds should be saluted for writing an important and living narrative that shows how sea battles shaped the course of American history." --Douglas Brinkley, author of Tour of Duty and The Unfinished Presidency
"Craig Symonds delivers American naval history in the tradition of Sir Edward Creasy's Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World. Combat at sea, from the Great Lakes to the Persian Gulf, jumps form the page in a vibrant, arresting narrative. Complementing each battle piece is an informed argument about the engagement's impact on the course of history."--Alex Roland, Duke University
"Craig Symonds, one of America's leading naval historians, has written a fascinating battle history that also provides thoughtful insights into the American character and the character of America at pivotal moments in the last 225 years. His prose is very accessible and provocative, particularly as he portrays what the future may hold for the U.S. Navy at the apogee of its power."--William S. Dudley, Former Director, U.S. Naval Historical Center
"Decision at Sea combines the wisdom of Alfred Thayer Mahan with the eminent readability we have come to expect from Craig Symonds. This book is destined to be a classic of both naval literature and national strategy."--Thomas Cutler, U.S. Naval Institute, author of A Sailor's History of the U.S. Navy and The Battle of Leyte Gulf
"Craig Symonds' Decision at Sea deftly integrates five vigorous battle narratives with a comparative analysis that highlights the changing character and recurring critical role the U.S. Navy has played in American history."--John B. Hattendorf, Naval War College
About the Author
Craig L. Symonds is a leading Civil War and naval historian who was Professor of History at the United States Naval Academy for three decades. He also taught at the U.S. Naval War College and the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England. His ten books include award-winning biographies of Joseph Johnston, Patrick Cleburne, and Franklin Buchanan, and the reference titles The Naval Institute Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy and A Battlefield Atlas of the Civil War.
Most helpful customer reviews
57 of 59 people found the following review helpful.
Changing Ships, Changing Times
By William Holmes
"Decision at Sea" is a well-written description of six decisive naval battles, each of which illustrates a key period in the development of naval warfare.
The prologue reviews the Battle of the Capes, which enabled the French fleet to prevent reinforcement of Cornwallis' army at Yorktown and led to the American-French victory that effectively ended the Revolutionary War. This was a classic naval engagement fought between large wooden ships firing broadsides and sailing in line-ahead formation on the open sea.
The rest of the book is devoted to more thorough explorations of five other important battles (thus the subtitle), each of which is explored in detail:
The first is the Battle of Lake Erie, in which the Americans under Oliver Hazard Perry built a small sailing fleet and used it to defeat an equally small British force. The victory enabled America to hold on to the Old Northwest territories in the War of 1812 and ultimately to begin expanding westward without British interference. Though the battle was small and the scene was a lake (albeit a great one), the tactics and equipment used were basically similar to those used in the Battle of the Capes.
The Battle of Hampton Roads covers the slugfest between the ironclads Virginia and Monitor. Before the Monitor arrived on the scene, the ironclad CSS Virgnia had inflicted on the Union fleet at Hampton Roads the largest defeat experienced by the American navy before Pearl Harbor. The guns involved were much more advanced than those used in the Battle of Lake Erie and each ship moved under its own power, but the battle was still fought at close quarters where each combatant had a fairly good view of the other.
The Battle of Manila Bay represents the next phase in naval warfare: cruisers with long range guns bombarded each other at ranges of up to two miles, leading to suprisingly few (but devastating) hits on the Spanish squadron in the Philippines. Admiral Dewey quickly asserted control over the Philippines, and the United States was soon bogged down in a four-year long fight against Filipinos seeking independence.
The Battle of Midway represents the next iteration in naval warfare, when a decisive American victory was won by carrier planes launched by ships separated by distances of hundreds of miles.
Finally, Symonds describes Operation Praying Mantis, the 1989 battle between the American navy and Iranian forces that resulted in the destruction of several Iranian gas and oil separation platforms, the sinking of two Iranian frigates, and the near-sinking of a third. The damage was inflicted by American warships firing guns and long-range missiles while coordinating with similarly equipped aircraft and helicopters.
Symonds' writing style is crisp, and his description of each battle is gripping and insightful. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a succinct overview of the evolution of naval warfare over the last two hundred years.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful.
Mr. Holmes's Review is Much Better than Mine
By Dianne Roberts
Err . . . I kind of wanted to write a review of this book until I read Mr. Holmes's below. I don't think I could ever top that, he says pretty much all you'd need to know about this book in a review.
I guess I'll just try to add a few things, beyond the tactics and technology which are the focus of the book.
In the section on the Battle of the Capes you get a very clear sense of how important timing is in the strategic sense for setting up Battles. The French were not the dominant maritime power in the American and Carribean waters, but the fates gave them an opportunity to mass a force that could defeat one half of a split British force, which then made them the dominant power. You can also see how, to a certain small degree, the Royal Navy was resting on it's laurels and how small inefficiencies in the way the British fought the Battle of the Capes cascaded into a decisive defeat.
The Battle of Lake Eerie impressed me with the sheer determination and drive of both sides. The Americans and the British practically had to build small shipyards, then naval bases, then a few handful of ships themselves, and then throw them at each other with little more than a few scraped together supplies, pseudo-sailors with next to no training, and a prayer. The leaders on both sides were clearly walking the razor's edge, and it shows how much leadership can make the difference.
The Battle of Manila Bay is very interesting, especially since it is so rarely mentioned in the literature despite the fact it announced America as a real power and gave us our only official colony. The most amazing thing about it was the extreme inaccuracy of the fire, an effect of technology outpacing tactics and training. Also interesting was the confusion that effervesced on the American side as a result of the mixture of being so far away from the Spanish fleet that accurate estimates of its strength could not be made, and miscommunications about how much ammunition remained. This caused a nearly comical worried withdrawal of the US fleet halfway through the battle before it realized it was winning resoundingly and rejoined the engagement. This by no means makes you think less of the prowess of the US Naval forces, but shows clearly just how thick the fog of war really can be.
The section on Midway however was not terribly interesting considering how well documented Midway is and how much, in contrast to Manila Bay, it is mentioned in the wider literature. The original concept of the book was to discuss the campaign for the Solomon Islands instead, which included both novel carrier-to-carrier warfare (Battles of Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz), night-time big gun battles with radar (Savo, USS Washington & South Dakota vs. Hiei & Kirishima, etc.), and combined air-sea-land amphibious operations. I think that the book would have done better to stick to this concept, but perhaps that would have made it too long.
Operation Praying Mantis is again fascinating for the same reason as Manila Bay, the generally poor "common" knowledge of it. This was also the engagement in which an AEGIS cruiser accidentally shot down an Iranian Airbus. Knowing the actual combat environment in which this mistake took place allows one to much better appreciate its causes and effects. How an American blue water force designed to take on the Soviet Navy in the middle of the Atlantic or Pacific fought a small, irregular navy in the restricted waters of the Persian Gulf is also highly prescient and salient to post Cold-War naval warfare.
To echo Mr. Holmes this is indeed an excellent and easily accessible overview of how technology and tactics have shaped naval warfare over the past 200 years.
23 of 27 people found the following review helpful.
Fine analytical naval history
By Roy E. Sullivan
Craig Symonds has long held a lofty place in the pantheon of outstanding American naval historians. I have enjoyed his scholarship and analysis for a number of years. His understanding and perceptions of the Early Republic Navy and the Navy of the Civil War era have been invaluable additions to American naval historiography, and his "Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy" in collaboration with cartographer William N. Clipson, in my estimation, ranks among the most useful and valuable works of recent naval scholarship.
I enjoyed this book immensely, for both its content and its style. Professor Symonds writes with academic vigor, yet most entertainingly, and uses superb organization of material and facts to enable the reader (and researcher) to easily track the flow of details. This is particularly true of the Midway battle in which multiple events are occuring simultaneously. Symonds manages to keep us informed by seamlessly knitting together the flow of events without overlooking the larger context of the campaign itself.
Perry's victory at Put-in-Bay halted a British invasion and saved the Northwest for the United States, but I would have preferred to see Macdonough's conclusive victory a year later on Lake Champlain as being the real "turning point" in U.S. fortunes in the War of 1812. Macdonough has always seemed to have taken a back seat to Perry but thoughtful naval historians, particularly Theodore Roosevelt and A.T. Mahan, have opined that Macdonough's battle was the more skillful in its management and execution, and it had significant consequences in that it prevented the British army from splitting New England from the rest of America (thereby enabling what would have been the annexation by Canada of most of what is now the state of Maine). The outcome at Lake Champlain additionally proved to be one of the deciding factors in the British decision to come to terms with the U.S. representatives and the resulting Treaty of Ghent signed several months after the battle, ending the war on terms acceptable in an overall sense to both parties in this unfortunate and unnecessary squabble.
Symonds' analysis of the Monitor and Virginia battle and its associated consequences upon the concept of warfare between armored ships is an obvious choice. Although the U.S. and Confederate navies were not the first to develop armored warships (England and France led in this in the 1850s and early 1860s), this was the first combat at sea between these types of ships and Symonds rightfully places this event in its international historical context.
The victory at Manila Bay was an excellent choice for inclusion in Symonds' narrative, for the outcome of Dewey's action clearly propelled the United States (and its growing Navy) onto the larger world stage. Manila Bay was the "coming out" party for the Navy and Symonds provides ample support for his argument that this action represented a turning point in the history of the United States, and perhaps the world as well. The war of 1898 clearly marked the emergence of the Navy onto the world stage in the manner envisioned by Mahan, Luce, T.R. Roosevelt and others.
If Manila Bay was America's Navy stepping tentatively onto the world stage for the first time, then what occurred at Midway marked the emergence of the Navy as the clear-cut leader, and foremost sea power in the world. The outcome neutralized Japanese advances in the northern Pacific, likely saved Hawaii from invasion and occupation, and enabled the USN, psychologically and, soon enough, materially, to assume the offensive in the central and south Pacific campaigns. Symonds' descriptions of the air attacks by both sides and the compelling factors that factored in the decision-making processes of the key players in the battle, are wonderfully done. Midway, in my opinion, is the best chapter in this book.
Professor Symonds uses the final chapter on the Persian Gulf of the 1980s and beyond as a platform for somewhat politicized views on current Middle East affairs, which is certainly within his purview as an analytical naval historian. However, Praying Mantis, to me, is hardly on a par with Lake Erie, Monitor-Virginia and Midway in the scale of changing the course of naval warfare or critical points in American naval history. Praying Mantis did not "Shape American History" as stated in the subtitle of Symonds' book. I submit that a far more "history shaping" event of the modern era would have been an analysis of the Carter-Reagan-Lehman naval buildup from 1979 through 1987 in which American blue-water naval forces were expanded both technologically and in numbers of ships (almost 600). This, to me, really did change history by clearly tipping the balance of power in the Cold War to the U.S., preserved the Pax Americana, particularly at sea, and further fueled the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union (and, by extension, its own naval buildup). The 600-ship navy had important consequences, not the least of which was that it sent the unequivocal psychological message that the United States Navy was going to remain superior to the Soviets at sea and that the USSR could not hope to match the U.S. expansion from the standpoint of technology and financial resources. Professor Symonds may have been better served, even as a detached, analytical, historian, to follow that formula rather than his choice of Praying Mantis.
Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, by Craig L. Symonds PDF
Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, by Craig L. Symonds EPub
Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, by Craig L. Symonds Doc
Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, by Craig L. Symonds iBooks
Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, by Craig L. Symonds rtf
Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, by Craig L. Symonds Mobipocket
Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History, by Craig L. Symonds Kindle
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar