The Naval Institute Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy

"From the Battle of Flamborough Head during the American Revolution to the naval air wars over Vietnam and Kuwait, this historical atlas charts the course of the U.S. Navy across its entire history. Laid out here are the figate duels of the War of 1812, the confrontations of ironclads during the Civil swar, the World War II carrier battles in the Pacific, and the amphibious landings in Korea. Depicted also are campaigns, operations, and peacetime interventions--the cruise of the SUSQUEHANNA, Perry's mission to Japan, the Cuban missile crissis, Operation Urgent Fury, and much more. Coming up to the present with an overview of Desert Storm, this cartographic portrait of the U.S. Navy makes naval operations understandable at a glance. The large-format maps are presented in full color, and each map has facing text that discusses the action depicted and its political, economic, and strategic significance. In addition, introductory essays discuss the ten significant eras of American naval history. The author has made a particular effort to include thumbnail sketches and photos of the admirals, the unit commanders, and the occasional junior officer or enlisted man who found himself at the fulcrum of history. The atlas also shows how the Navy's fortunes have changed over the years, with some generations supporting an expanded Navy while others allowed it to atrophy--not because some were smarter than others but because what was appropriate to one age was either inadequate or unnecessary to another. Yet despite myriad changes, the U.S. Navy has been successful in guarding the nation and securing its interests, as this volume so vividly depicts."--Jacket flap.