This memoir of James Stavridis' two years in command of the destroyer USS Barry reveals the human side of what it is like to be in charge of a warship—for the first time and in the midst of international crisis. From Haiti to the Balkans to the Arabian Gulf<, the Barry was involved in operations throughout the world during his 1993–1995 tour. Drawing on daily journals he kept for the entire period, the author reveals the complex nature of those deployments in a "real time" context and describes life on board the Barry and liberty ashore for sailors and officers alike.\\ With all the joy, doubt, self-examination, hope, and fear of a first command, he offers an honest examination of his experience from the bridge to help readers grasp the true nature of command at sea. The window he provides into the personal lives of the crew illuminates not only their hard work in a ship that spent more than 70 percent of its time underway, but also the sacrifices of their families ashore. Stavridis credits his able crew for the many awards the Barry won while he was captain, including the Battenberg Cup for top ship in the Atlantic Fleet. Naval aficionados who like seagoing fiction will be attracted to the book, as will those fascinated by life at sea. Officers from all the services, especially surface warfare naval officers aspiring to command, will find these lessons of a first command by one of the Navy's most respected admirals both entertaining and instructive.
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Destroyer Captain
Lessons of a First Command
Available Formats: Softcover
Dust on the Sea
A Novel
In 1972, following the huge success of Run Silent, Run Deep, Edward L. Beach's second novel of submarine warfare was published to great acclaim. Like its predecessor, Dust on the Sea was lauded for its authentic portrayal of what it meant to be a submariner during the desperate years of World War II. Tense, dramatic and rich in technical ...
Available Formats: Softcover
Ship of Gold
A Novel
This taut thriller provides the behind-the-scenes reality of the national security system at work --the CIA, the Oval Office, the Pentagon, and the National Security Council -- and is must-reading for fans of Tom Clancy and W.E.B. Griffin.
In 1945, the U.S. submarine Tigerfish mistakenly torpedoed and sunk a Japanese merchant ship. Reportedly carrying supplies to allied POWs, the ship ...
Available Formats: Softcover
Seduced by Secrets
Inside the Stasi's Spy-Tech World
Available for sale only in the U.S. and Canada. Exceptions made for USNI Members.
Seduced by Secrets is an expose of the secret world of one of the most feared spy agencies in history. Revealed, for the first time, are the technical methods and sources of the Stasi (East German Ministry for State Security) as it stole secrets from abroad ...
Available Formats: Softcover
"Washington's Taiwan Dilemma, 1949-1950"
From Abandonment to Salvation
The declaration of the People’s Republic of China in October 1949 presented American foreign policy officials with two dilemmas: How to deal with the communist government on the mainland and what to do about Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist regime on Taiwan. By 1950, these questions were pressing hard upon U.S. civilian and military planners and policy makers, for it appeared that ...
Available Formats: Softcover
John Paul Jones
Fighter for Freedom and Glory
This is the true life story of the Scottish gardener’s son, John Paul, who became America’s greatest naval hero, John Paul Jones. British midshipman, African slaver, traveling actor, merchant captain, accused of murder and suspected of freebooting—this was John Paul. Captain in Washington’s Continental Navy, raider of the British coasts and victor in one of history’s most desperate naval battles ...
Available Formats: Softcover
In Defence of Naval Supremacy
"Finance, Technology, and British Naval Policy, 1889-1914"
In his groundbreaking work, In Defence of Naval Supremacy, Sumida presents a provocative and authoritative revisionist history of the origins, nature and consequences of the "Dreadnought Revolution" of 1906. Based on intensive and extensive archival research, the book strives to explain vital financial and technical matters which enable readers to observe the complex interplay of fiscal, technical, strategic, and ...
Available Formats: Softcover
Whips to Walls
Naval Discipline from Flogging to Progressive Era Reform at Portsmouth Prison
The abolishment of flogging in 1850 started the U.S. Navy on a quest for a prison system that culminated with the opening of Portsmouth Naval Prison in 1908. During World War I, that prison became the center of the Navy’s attempt to reform what many considered outdated means of punishment. Driven by Progressive Era ideals and led by Thomas Mott ...
Available Formats: Softcover
The Admirals' Advantage
U.S. Navy Operational Intelligence in World War II and the Cold War
Operational intelligence, knowledge of the enemy’s location and actions, is crucial to effective military operations. The Admirals’ Advantage offers a revealing look at naval operational intelligence based on the findings of a classified Operational Intelligence (OPINTEL) Lessons-Learned Project and a 1998 Symposium at the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center. Participants included senior intelligence and operational leaders who explored ...
Available Formats: Softcover
German Destroyers of World War II
The warships of the World War II German Navy are among the most popular subjects in naval history, and one of the best collections is the concise but authoritative six volume series written by Gerhard Koop and illustrated by Klaus-Peter Schmolke. Each book contains an account of the development of a particular class, a detailed description of the ships, with ...
Available Formats: Softcover