Synopses & Reviews
For its first eighty-five years, the United States was only a minor naval power. Its fledgling fleet had been virtually annihilated during the War of Independence and was mostly trapped in port by the end of the War of 1812. How this meager presence became the major naval power it remains to this day is the subject of
American Naval History, 1607and#8211;1865: Overcoming the Colonial Legacy. A wide-ranging yet concise survey of the U.S. Navy from the colonial era through the Civil War, the book draws on American, British, and French history to reveal how navies reflect diplomatic, political, economic, and social developments and to show how the foundation of Americaand#8217;s future naval greatness was laid during the Civil War.
Award-winning author Jonathan R. Dull documents the remarkable transformation of the U.S. Navy between 1861 and 1865, thanks largely to brilliant naval officers like David Farragut, David D. Porter, and Andrew Foote; visionary politicians like Abraham Lincoln and Gideon Welles; and progressive industrialists like James Eads and John Ericsson. But only by understanding the failings of the antebellum navy can the accomplishments of Lincolnand#8217;s navy be fully appreciated. Exploring such topics as delays in American naval development, differences between the U.S. and European fleets, and the effect that the countryand#8217;s colonial past had on its naval policies, Dull offers a new perspective on both American naval history and the history of the developing republic.
Review
and#8220;I couldnand#8217;t put this book down. Americaand#8217;s U-Boats is a fast-moving narrative, expertly crafted by a gifted writer, and it tells the story of an especially compelling forgotten chapter of the Great War and its aftermath.and#8221;and#8212;Steven Trout, author of On the Battlefield of Memory: The First World War and American Remembrance, 1919and#8211;1941
Review
and#8220;Chris Dubbs addresses an overlooked area of World War I cultural history, American fascination with German submarines during and after the war when the United States used confiscated U-boats to sell war bonds. In this captivating book, Dubbs displays a keen sense of irony and compelling ability to tell a story.and#8221;and#8212;Celia M. Kingsbury, author of For Home and Country: World War I Propaganda on the Home Front
Review
and#8220;In this excellent work Chris Dubbs offers an evocative portrait of how the German U-boat captured the American imagination in World War I, defining the Germans as a ruthless enemy in possession of superior military technology that both repulsed and fascinated Americans throughout the twentieth century.and#8221;and#8212;Jennifer D. Keene, author of Doughboys, the Great War and The Remaking of America
Review
"This is an excellent summary of how the U.S. Navy grew from next to nothing at the end of the American Revolution into a force without which the Union could not have defeated the Confederacy, and became a world-class power in the twentieth century. . . . Dull has pulled personalities, diplomacy, technology, and politics into a nicely executed summary. This is a superior reference for someone who wants a different look at our early history."and#8212;Frieda Murray, Booklist
Review
"Impressive intellectual heft."and#8212;Stephen Curley, Journal of American Culture
Review
"Aand#160;tight, insightful overview of American naval history."and#8212;A. A. Nofi, strategypage.com
Review
"American Naval History, 1607-1865 is an important work in that it continues a recent historiographical trend that places naval and other military history into broader discussions that detail not only how outside factors shaped fighting forces, but also how military institutions were integral parts of the wider modern world."and#8212;Greg Rogers, H-NET
Review
"American Naval History is a thought-provoking book that asks its readers to consider the early history of the U.S. Navy in a larger context, which is reason enough to recommend it to readers looking for a quick and lucid introduction to America's naval heritage."and#8212;Kurt Hackemer, Journal of American History
Review
"An excellent introduction to the rise of American sea power."and#8212;NYMAS Review
Review
and#8220;Stories from Langley provides an invaluable behind-the-scenes look at professional life inside the CIA. While many have written about great operational exploits, few have focused on the daily lives and challenges of analysts, support officers, and engineers, members of the organization whose work is as essential if not as glamorous in the public eye. Young men and women wondering about what to expect in these varied CIA careers will find the book fascinating, revealing, and perhaps even enticing.and#8221;and#8212;George Tenet, former director of Central Intelligence for the CIA
Review
and#8220;One of the most difficult aspects of intelligence is trying to convey to outsiders what that lifeand#8212;especially as an analystand#8212;is really like. Most fiction is overblown and inevitably focuses on operations and spying. Stories from Langley is a delightful foray into the actual experiences of a broad range of intelligence officers and fills an important gap in our intelligence literature. Anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of an intelligence career will find this a useful and worthwhile read.and#8221;and#8212;Mark Lowenthal, former assistant director of Central Intelligence for Analysis and Production for the CIA and author of Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy
Review
andquot;[Americaand#39;s U-Boats is] a great tale of daring German and American submariners, the employment of innovative technology, and a curious American public.andquot;andmdash;Colonel John J. Abbatiello, Naval History
Review
andquot;American Naval History provides a very important intellectual contribution by connecting American naval history to the American colonial experience across the entire scope of permanent settlement from 1607 to 1775.andquot;andmdash;John B. Hattendorf, Historian
Review
andquot;All those readers who are interested in submarines will find much to enjoy in Americaand#39;s U-boats.andquot;andmdash;Roger D. Cunningham, Journal of Americaand#39;s Military Past
Review
andquot;With a lively narrative and superb illustrations, this concise account of an unusual naval operation, and its strategic consequences, deserves a wide readership.andquot;andmdash;Simon Bellamy, Naval Review
Synopsis
In early August 1974, despite incredible political, military, and intelligence risks and after six years of secret preparations, the CIA attempted to salvage the sunken Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129 from the depths of the North Pacific Ocean. In this book, the untold story of the CIA's Project Azorian is finally revealed after decades of secrecy.
Synopsis
In 1974, the CIA attempted to salvage the sunken Soviet ballistic missile submarine "K-129" from the depths of the North Pacific Ocean. The untold story of the CIA's Project Azorian is finally revealed after decades of secrecy.
Synopsis
The submarine was one of the most revolutionary weapons of World War I, inciting both terror and fascination for militaries and civilians alike. During the war, after U-boats sank the Lusitania and began daring attacks on shipping vessels off the East Coast, the American press dubbed these weapons and#8220;Hun Devil Boats,and#8221; and#8220;Sea Thugs,and#8221; and and#8220;Baby Killers.and#8221; But at the conflictand#8217;s conclusion, the U.S. Navy acquired six U-boats to study and to serve as war souvenirs. Until their destruction under armistice terms in 1921, these six U-boats served as U.S. Navy ships, manned by American crews. The ships visited eighty American cities to promote the sale of victory bonds and to recruit sailors, allowing hundreds of thousands of Americans to see up close the weapon that had so captured the publicand#8217;s imagination.
In Americaand#8217;s U-Boats Chris Dubbs examines the legacy of submarine warfare in the American imagination. Combining nautical adventure, military history, and underwater archaeology, Dubbs shares the previously untold story of German submarines and their impact on American culture and reveals their legacy and Americansand#8217; attitudes toward this new wonder weapon.
Synopsis
Applicants to the Central Intelligence Agency often asked Edward Mickolus what they might expect in a career there. Mickolus,and#160;a former CIA intelligence officer whose duties also included recruiting and public affairs, never had a simple answer. If applicants were considering a life in the National Clandestine Service, the answer was easy. Numerous memoirs show the lives of operations officers collecting secret intelligence overseas, conducting counterintelligence investigations, and running covert action programs. But the CIA isnand#8217;t only about case officers in far-flung areas of the world, recruiting spies to steal secrets. For an applicant considering a career as an analyst, a support officer, a scientist, or even a secretary, few sources provide reliable insight into what a more typical career at the CIA might look like.
and#160;This collection of the exploits and insights of twenty-nine everyday agency employees is Mickolusand#8217;s answer. From individuals who have served at the highest levels of the agency to young officers just beginning their careers, Stories from Langley reveals the breadth of career opportunities available at the CIA and offers advice from agency officers themselves.
About the Author
EDWARD MICKOLUS is the founder and president of Vinyard Software, Inc., and served in analytical, operational, and management positions at the Central Intelligence Agency for thirty-three years. He is the author or coauthor of two dozen books, including The Terrorist List;and#160;The 50 Worst Terrorist Attacks, 1960and#8211;2014; and The Secret Book of CIA Humor.