Spencer Tucker

Spencer C. Tucker held the John Biggs Chair of Military History at the Virginia Military Institute for six years until his retirement. He is the author of twenty-five books including the award winning Stephen Decatur: A Life Most Bold and Daring.

Articles by Spencer Tucker

BEVERLEY R. ROBINSON COLLECTION, U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY MUSEUM

Conquering the Confederacy's Western Waters

By Spencer C. Tucker

June 2006

Seizing the initiative early in the Civil War, the U.S. Navy and Army waged a relentless campaign to capture the Western theater"s major rivers.

The Union's First Great Victories

By Spencer C. Tucker

December 2005

Commodore Andrew Foote and his flotilla of ironclad and "timberclad" gunboats played a key role in twin victories that opened Tennessee to Union invasion.

Book Reviews

Reviewed by Commander Dennis Ringle, U.S. Navy (Retired), Spencer Tucker & General Carl E. Mundy Jr., U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)

June 2002

Slaves, Sailors, Citizens: African Americans in the Union Navy Steven J. Ramold. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University Press, 2002. 252 pp. Illus. Notes. Bib. Index. $32.00 ($28.80). Reviewed by Commander ...

Timberclads Attack up the Tennessee

By Spencer C. Tucker

February 2001

In a daring al-Navy attack in February 1862, Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote seized Confederate Fort Henry even before Union Army forces arrived.

Book Reviews

Reviewed by Gerhard Weinberg, Donald A. Wambold, Commander R.T. Jackson, Royal New Zealand Navy, & Spencer C. Tucker

December 1998

The World Within War: America’s Combat Experience in World War II Gerald F. Linderman. New York: The Free Press, 1997. 408 pp. Bib. Index. $26.00. Reviewed by Gerhard Weinberg In ...

The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair

By Spencer C. Tucker and Frank T. Reuter

June 1996

When the HMS Leopard and the USS Chesapeake clashed in Lynnhaven Bay in 1807 an unprepared crew ensured disaster for the U.S. frigate.

The Navy Discovers Shore Bombardment

By Spencer C. Tucker

October 1994

Heavily armed, shallow-draft vessels designed to bring high-trajectory fire to bear on coastal targets were borrowed by LT Stephen Decatur to use against Tripoli.

Technical Report—The Dahlgren Boat Howitzer

By Spencer C. Tucker

September 1992

In the early days of naval warfare most shipboard guns were small man-killers for use at close quarters. As the size of guns increased and their numbers decreased, small guns ...

Technical Report—U.S. Navy Gunnery and the Plymouth

By Spencer C. Tucker

April 1991

The sloop-of-war Plymouth in 1857 became the first U.S. Navy vessel dedicated to improving fleet gunnery and developing improved ordnance. Her assignment marked a turning point in the U.S. Navy’s ...

Technical Report—Shot to Shrapnel-and Back

By Spencer C. Tucker

April 1987

Solid round shot was the standard U. S. Navy projectile during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. But experiments with explosive shells and increasing construction of iron ships ...

Books by Spencer Tucker

Andrew Foote

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Spencer Tucker

Articles by Spencer Tucker

Books by Spencer Tucker

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