Central Kansas Library System

"A fluent, intelligent history...give[s] the reader a feel for the human quirks and harsh demands of life at sea."—New York Times Book Review

Before the ink was dry on the U.S. Constitution, the establishment of a permanent military became the most divisive issue facing the new government. The founders—particularly Jefferson, Madison, and Adams—debated fiercely. Would a standing army be the thin end of dictatorship?...

They were legalized pirates empowered by the Continental Congress to raid and plunder, at their own considerable risk, as much enemy trade as they could successfully haul back to America's shores. They played a decisive role in America's struggle for independence and later turned their seafaring talents to the slave trade, revealing the conflict between enterprise and morality central to American history.In Patriot Pirates, Robert H. Patton, the grandson...

An action-packed account of the sea battles of the Napoleonic War, a naval struggle that lasted from 1798 to 1815, beginning with Napoleon's seizing power and ending with the War of 1812. In this vivid and visceral account, the authors draw on eyewitness records to portray not only the battles but also the details of a sailor's life--shipwrecks, press-gangs, prostitutes, spies, and prisoners of war. This epic narrative history will appeal to fans...

One of the great untold stories of World War II finally comes to light in this thrilling account of the members of Torpedo Squadron Eight and their heroic efforts in helping an outmatched U.S. fleet win critical victories at Midway and Guadalcanal. These thirty-five American men-many flying outmoded aircraft-changed the course of history, going on to become the war's most decorated naval air squadron, while suffering the heaviest losses in U.S. naval...

Jeff Shaara recounts in electrifying detail the U.S. Navy's surge to defend its country in what will become known as one of the most definitive and heroic examples of combat ever seen: the Battle of Midway. In this biting new tale, Shaara shares the stories of all ranks and the unique sacrifices each man is compelled to bravely make for the sake of country, freedom, and honour. Author of "To Wake the Giant." Spring 1942. The United States is reeling...

Draws on eyewitness accounts and primary sources to describe the first months of World War II in the Pacific, after the U.S. Navy suffered the worst defeat in its history at Pearl Harbor. "On the first Sunday in December 1941, an armada of Japanese warplanes appeared suddenly over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and devastated the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Six months later, in a sea fight north of the tiny atoll of Midway, four Japanese aircraft carriers were sent...

An account of John F. Kennedy's naval service in World War II, particularly of the rescue of his crew after his PT boat was destroyed.

Describes the loss of the cruiser U.S.S. Houston during the early days of World War II in the Pacific and the fate of the warship's surviving crew, who were captured by the Japanese and forced to work as slaves on Japan's brutal Burma-Thailand Death Railway.