Paul Stillwell is an independent historian and retired naval officer. He worked for thirty years at the U.S. Naval Institute as an oral historian and editor of Naval History magazine. He is the author or editor of thirteen books, including four on battleships and an award-winning volume on the Navy's first African American officers, The Golden Thirteen.

Articles by Paul Stillwell

Paul Stillwell

Born in 1912

By Paul Stillwell
April 2012
This year there will be a great deal of hoopla over the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the British liner Titanic on her first voyage (see story, p. 48) ...
Dorothy Stratton

The First SPAR

By Paul Stillwell
January 2012
For about four decades, the top ship commands for Coast Guard captains were “the big white ones,” the high-endurance cutter Hamilton (WHEC-715) and her 11 sisters. Ships of the class ...
Mobile Press-Register

Honoring a Man of Honor

By Paul Stillwell
October 2011
In the first week of June 1951, Ensign Bill Lawrence graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. During his time as a midshipman, he was bothered about a then-typical practice known ...
Karen Stillwell

Surrounded by a Sea of Books

By Paul Stillwell
July 2011
Several years ago I wrote a column titled “Confessions of a Bookaholic” (Naval History, October 1997). The thrust of it was that I have a serious addiction, and ...
U.S. Naval Institute Photo Archive

Hellcat Ace in a Day—Twice!

Interview by Paul Stillwell
January 2011
The late David McCampbell remains the Navy’s top fighter ace. Here’s an account of World War II aerial action in the Medal of Honor recipient’s own words.
DoD/Jian DeLeon

A Night at the Ballpark

By Paul Stillwell
January 2011
Many of the enjoyable days and nights of my life have been spent in baseball parks, past and present. Images of those days were rekindled in early November, the weekend ...
Courtesy of the Author

The Durable Lexington

By Paul Stillwell
October 2010
When searching for longevity in aircraft carrier performance, one need look no further than the former USS Lexington, now a museum in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas. Her active service lasted ...