Shield of the Republic; The United States Navy in an Era of Cold War and Violent Peace. Volume I, 1945-1962

New York: St. Martin's Press, 1993. First Edition [Stated], First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. 24 cm. xiii, [1], 948 pages. Volume I ONLY. Endpaper Maps. Illustrations. Maps. Notes. Index. DJ in plastic sleeve, minor soiling to fore-edge. Michael T. Isenberg is assistant professor of history at the United States Naval Academy. He is the author of The Puzzles of the Past: An Introduction to Thinking about History and War on Film: The American Cinema and World War I, 1914-1941. The author died after jogging in 1996. Volume I was the only volume completed by this author. U.S. naval history from the surrender of the Japanese at the end of World War II to the Cuban missile crisis. Derived from a Kirkus review: In the first of a planned two-volume study, Isenberg covered the years from the end of WW II to the Cuban missile crisis. Drawing on a wealth of sources, the author assesses the administrative, operational, personnel, and other institutional developments that molded the salt-water service during the cold war's early stages. In particular, he focuses on the technologies that brought nuclear-powered frigates, submarines, and supercarriers to the fore while relegating once-mighty battleships to mothball fleets. Isenberg concludes that the Navy's aerospace/nuclear capabilities not only played a pivotal role in deterring the threat of atomic holocaust but also helped ensure our virtually unchallenged dominion of the seas-and allowed Washington's policy-makers to impose their will on a genuinely global scale. Covered are the many strong personalities-Arleigh Burke, Hyman Rickover, et al.-who manned the Navy's bridges during a volatile era. Throughout his narrative, moreover, Isenberg displays a refreshingly light touch without undermining the seriousness of his purpose. A long voyage that handsomely repays the time invested.