![]() This history of political oscillation, where the Navy falls into disrepair and neglect and then goes through major expansion, continues today. To give you a sense of the scope of the boom-bust cycle, at the end of World War II, we had an astounding 65,000 ships on the US Navy register today we have about 295. ![]() Political support for the Navy ebbs until the sea force is called upon to defend the United States, and then there is a major expansion. Unlike other branches of the United States Armed Forces, the US Navy is constantly in a boom-bust cycle. This book also highlights the lack of consistent political support for the Navy. ![]() ![]() “The Navy is deeply woven into the fabric of the United States” The US Navy’s successful effort to choke off commerce during the Civil War drove the defeat of the South. For example, people read a lot of books about the causes of the Civil War and its land battles, but little about the naval aspects of the war, which were essential to the outcome. The Navy is deeply woven into the fabric of the US, although we don’t pay much attention to it. Seems like Symonds isn’t just summarizing, he’s also arguing that the Navy reflects the history of the United States as a whole. If a civilian asked me for one book they should read to understand the US Navy, I’d tell them to get this. ![]() Craig Symonds is undoubtedly the best of the current generation of American naval historians. The book is very short, only a hundred pages long. The great English naval historian, Nicholas Roger, who you interviewed about naval history, said, “There’s no shortage of books about the US Navy, most of which are perfectly dreadful.” I agree. Let’s begin with a promising title, for our purposes, The US Navy: A Concise History by a professor emeritus from the United States Naval Academy. Foreign Policy & International Relations. ![]()
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