US Navy Battleships 1895–1908

Download US Navy Battleships 1895–1908 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472839994
Total Pages : 49 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis US Navy Battleships 1895–1908 by : Brian Lane Herder

Download or read book US Navy Battleships 1895–1908 written by Brian Lane Herder and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-09-17 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The last predreadnought battleships of the US Navy were critical to the technological development of US battleships, and they were the first tool of international hard power wielded by the United States, a nation which would eventually become the world's dominant political and military power of the 20th century. These battleships were the stars of the 1907–09 Great White Fleet circumnavigation, in which the emerging power and reach of the US Navy was displayed around the world. They also took part in the bombardment and landings at Veracruz, some served as convoy escorts in World War I, and the last two were transferred to the Hellenic Navy and were sunk during World War II. This book examines the design, history, and technical qualities of the final six classes of US predreadnought battleships, all of which were involved in the circumnavigation of the Great White Fleet. These classes progressively closed the quality gap with European navies – the Connecticuts were the finest predreadnought battleships ever built – and this book also compares and contrasts US predreadnought battleships to their foreign contemporaries. Packed with illustrations and specially commissioned artwork, this is an essential guide to the development of US Navy Battleships at the turn of the twentieth century.

US Navy Battleships 1886–98

Download US Navy Battleships 1886–98 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472835042
Total Pages : 49 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis US Navy Battleships 1886–98 by : Brian Lane Herder

Download or read book US Navy Battleships 1886–98 written by Brian Lane Herder and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-06-27 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After the American Civil War, the US Navy had been allowed to decay into complete insignificance, yet the commissioning of the modern Brazilian battleship Riachuelo and poor performance against the contemporary Spanish fleet, forced the US out of its isolationist posture towards battleships. The first true US battleships began with the experimental Maine and Texas, followed by the three-ship Indiana class, and the Iowa class, which incorporated lessons from the previous ships. These initial ships set the enduring US battleship standard of being heavily armed and armoured at the expense of speed. This fully illustrated study examines these first six US battleships, a story of political compromises, clean sheet designs, operational experience, and experimental improvements. These ships directly inspired the creation of an embryonic American military-industrial complex, enabled a permanent outward-looking shift in American foreign policy and laid the foundations of the modern US Navy.

US Navy Armored Cruisers 1890–1933

Download US Navy Armored Cruisers 1890–1933 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472851021
Total Pages : 49 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis US Navy Armored Cruisers 1890–1933 by : Brian Lane Herder

Download or read book US Navy Armored Cruisers 1890–1933 written by Brian Lane Herder and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-10-27 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new history of the large, fast, and long-ranged armored cruisers of the US Navy, and the roles that these warships played in the fleet as America developed into a great naval power. At the dawn of the “Steel Navy” era, the rapidly expanding US Navy's fleet of capital ships consisted not only of battleships but also armored cruisers, the forerunner of the battlecruiser. Armored cruisers sacrificed the battleship's superlative firepower and protection for superior speed and range but, as this study shows, their role was not always easy to define. Controversial because they were as large and expensive as battleships but not able to withstand a battleship in battle, contemporary strategists pointed out that, “naval wars are not won by running away from stronger ships.” Despite being produced at great expense, tactically they never really had a legitimate mission–traditional deployments were commerce raiding and protection, but despite this, author Brian Lane Herder illustrates how successful the use of armored cruisers was for the US Navy. After 1906, some replaced US battleships in the Pacific, functioning as oversized gunboats, most notably, the modified armored cruiser Pennsylvania which witnessed the first landing of an airplane on a ship. On November 5, 1915, North Carolina became the first cruiser to launch an aircraft from a catapult while underway. After the war, surviving US armored cruisers represented the US Navy on their Asiatic station until the final cruiser was scuttled in 1946. Using detailed, color artwork and photos, this fascinating book describes the development and deployment of these controversial but intriguing ships, providing examples of the key service they played in the US Navy in a variety of defensive and escorting roles.

US Navy Gunboats 1885–1945

Download US Navy Gunboats 1885–1945 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472844629
Total Pages : 49 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis US Navy Gunboats 1885–1945 by : Brian Lane Herder

Download or read book US Navy Gunboats 1885–1945 written by Brian Lane Herder and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-04-15 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study of the history of the US Navy's gunboats and their role in building a worldwide American naval presence abroad and in combat, from the Yangtze era through to World War II. For more than half a century, American gunboats were the ships often responsible for policing small crises and provided deterrence and fast-response capabilities around the world – showing the flag, landing armed parties, patrolling river and littoral areas, and protecting ex-pats. They were often the United States' most-visible and constant military presence in far-flung foreign lands, and were most closely associated with the Far East, particularly the Philippines and China. Most famous, of course, was the multinational Yangtze Patrol. Many US gunboats were built, purchased or reassembled overseas where they usually served out their entire careers, never coming within 7,000 miles of the national homeland which they served. Numerous gunboats were captured from the Spanish during the 1898 war, many being raised from shallow graves, refurbished, and commissioned into USN service. The classic haunt of US gunboats was the Asiatic Station of China and the Philippines. Gunboat service overseas was typically exotic and the sailors' lives were often exciting and unpredictable. The major operational theatres associated with the US gunboats were the pre-1898 cruises and patrols of the earliest steel gunboats, the Spanish-American War of 1898 (both the Philippines and the Caribbean), the guerilla wars of the early 20th century Philippines and Latin America, the Asiatic Fleet and Yangtze Patrol of the 1890s–1930s, and finally World War II, which largely entailed operations in China, the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, Alaska, and on convoy routes. It was Japan's sudden 1941–1942 'Centrifugal Offensive' that effectively spelled the beginning of the end not just of most American gunboats, but also the century-old world order in Asia that had provided US gunboats with their primary mission.

US Cruisers 1883–1904

Download US Cruisers 1883–1904 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1780962703
Total Pages : 76 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (89 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis US Cruisers 1883–1904 by : Lawrence Burr

Download or read book US Cruisers 1883–1904 written by Lawrence Burr and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-12-20 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the end of the Civil War the US Navy was the most advanced in the world, but in subsequent years America's naval might dwindled. However, in the 1880s a 'New Navy' was born and at the forefront of its fleet were the mighty cruisers. Naval historian Lawrence Burr details how these cruisers allowed America to rebuild their navy, exploring the design and development of these ships. Placing these advances in context, through vivid accounts of how US cruisers performed in the Spanish-American War of 1898, notably at Manila Bay and Santiago, he investigates the emergence of the US Navy as a major power. Illustrated with early photographs and full-colour artwork, this is a concise history of the birth and development of a modern navy that was the precursor to the development of modern steel fleets around the world.

US Navy Dreadnoughts 1914–45

Download US Navy Dreadnoughts 1914–45 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782003878
Total Pages : 50 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (82 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis US Navy Dreadnoughts 1914–45 by : Ryan K. Noppen

Download or read book US Navy Dreadnoughts 1914–45 written by Ryan K. Noppen and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-08-20 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The development of the US Navy's dreadnought battleships was a pivotal part of America's evolution into a true world power. By the beginning of World War I, the United States possessed the world's third largest navy, with ten dreadnoughts in service and four more under construction. By the end of World War II, the US Navy was the undoubted global superpower, despite initial crippling losses to its battlefleet at Pearl Harbor. Richly illustrated with archive photographs as well as a full cutaway of the world's only surviving dreadnought, this comprehensive and detailed title covers the technical characteristics and combat record of the US dreadnoughts throughout their long careers.

US Fast Battleships 1938–91

Download US Fast Battleships 1938–91 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 178096272X
Total Pages : 96 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (89 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis US Fast Battleships 1938–91 by : Lawrence Burr

Download or read book US Fast Battleships 1938–91 written by Lawrence Burr and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-12-20 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1938, the United States abandoned the constraints imposed by the Washington Teaty and began work on a new class of super-battleships. This book covers the design, construction, and employment of the four Iowa-class battleships, the largest in the American fleet. During World War II, they served as guards for the aircraft carriers and their bombardments provided cover for the numerous landings in the Pacific. At the war's end, the Japanese signed their surrender on the decks of an Iowa-class battleship, the USS Missouri. After World War II, the ships continued to serve, providing support during Korea, Vietnam, and even the first Gulf War. This book tells the full story of the greatest of the American battleships.

Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet

Download Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : US Naval Institute Press
ISBN 13 : 9781557509727
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (97 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet by : James R. Reckner

Download or read book Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet written by James R. Reckner and published by US Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on previously untapped sources, naval historian James Reckner provides a complete picture of the fleet that thrust the United States into the ranks of great world naval powers. His fresh interpretations of the fleet's historic 1907-09 world cruise, which won him the 1989 Roosevelt Naval History Prize, allow today's readers to fully appreciate the significance of the famous fleet that set sail during Teddy Roosevelt's second term as president. Reckner recreates the colorful pageantry of the event--sixteen U.S. battleships on a fourteen-month voyage around the world--that drew thousands of sightseers at every port of call, but his main emphasis is on the cruise's long-range impact on the Navy. He shows how the cruise revealed the fleet's shortcomings and forced the naval establishment to acknowledge the faults and make concessions that eventually led to permanent benefits.

Manila and Santiago

Download Manila and Santiago PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Naval Institute Press
ISBN 13 : 1612514146
Total Pages : 222 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (125 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Manila and Santiago by : Jim Leeke

Download or read book Manila and Santiago written by Jim Leeke and published by Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2013-07-10 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. Navy's first two-ocean war was the Spanish-American War of 1898. A war that was global in scope, with the decisive naval battles of war at Manila Bay and Santiago de Cuba separated by two months and over ten thousand miles. During these battles in this quick, modern war, America s New Steel Navy came of age. While the American commanders sailed to war with a technologically advanced fleet, it was the lessons they had learned from Adm. David Farragut in the Civil War that prepared them for victory over the Spaniards. This history of the U.S. Navy s operations in the war provides some memorable portraits of the colorful officers who decided the outcome of these battles: Shang Dewey in the Philippines and Fighting Bob Evans off southern Cuba; Jack Philip conning the Texas and Constructor Hobson scuttling the Merrimac; Clark of the Oregon pushing his battleship around South America; and Adm. William Sampson and Commodore Scott Schley ending their careers in controversy. These officers sailed into battle with a navy of middle-aged lieutenants and overworked bluejackets, along with green naval militiamen. They were accompanied by numerous onboard correspondents, who documented the war.In addition to descriptions of the men who fought or witnessed the pivotal battles on the American side, the book offers sympathetic portraits of several Spanish officers, the Dons for whom American sailors held little personal enmity. Admirals Patricio Montojo and Pasqual Cervera, doomed to sacrifice their forces for the pride of a dying empire, receive particular attention. The first study of the Spanish-American War to be published in many years, this book takes a journalistic approach to the subject, making the conflict and the people involved relevant to today s readers. This work details a war in which victory was determined as much by leadership as by the technology of the American Steel Navy.

The Naval Siege of Japan 1945

Download The Naval Siege of Japan 1945 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472840348
Total Pages : 97 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Naval Siege of Japan 1945 by : Brian Lane Herder

Download or read book The Naval Siege of Japan 1945 written by Brian Lane Herder and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-04-30 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The final months of Allied naval bombardments on the Home Islands during World War II have, for whatever reason, frequently been overlooked by historians. Yet the Allies' final naval campaign against Japan involved the largest and arguably most successful wartime naval fleet ever assembled, and was the climax to the greatest naval war in history. Though suffering grievous losses during its early attacks, by July 1945 the United States Third Fleet wielded 1,400 aircraft just off the coast of Japan, while Task Force 37, the British Pacific Fleet's carrier and battleship striking force, was the most powerful single formation ever assembled by the Royal Navy. In the final months of the war the Third Fleet's 20 American and British aircraft carriers would hurl over 10,000 aerial sorties against the Home Islands, whilst another ten Allied battleships would inflict numerous morale-destroying shellings on Japanese coastal cities. In this illustrated study, historian Brian Lane Herder draws on primary sources and expert analysis to chronicle the full story of the Allies' Navy Siege of Japan from February 1945 to the very last days of World War II.

British Battleships 1890–1905

Download British Battleships 1890–1905 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472844548
Total Pages : 49 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis British Battleships 1890–1905 by : Angus Konstam

Download or read book British Battleships 1890–1905 written by Angus Konstam and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-01-21 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Royal Navy's battleships at the turn of the 20th century were the most powerful battlefleet in the world, and embodied one of the key periods in warship development - the development of the dreadnought battleship. The term 'pre-dreadnought' was applied in retrospect, to describe the capital ships built during the decade and a half before the launch of HMS Dreadnought in 1906. At that moment these once great warships were rendered obsolete. However, until then, they were simply called 'battleships' and were unquestionably the most powerful warships of their day. These mighty warships represented the cutting edge of naval technology. The ugly ducklings of the ironclad era had been transformed into beautiful swans, albeit deadly ones. In Britain, this period was dominated by Sir William White, the Navy's Chief Constructor. Under his guidance the mastless battleships of the 1880s gave way to an altogether more elegant type of capital ship. The period of trial and error which marked the ironclad era ushered in a more scientific style of naval architecture. As a result, these battleships were among the most powerful warships in the world during the late Victorian era, and set a benchmark for the new battle fleets produced by navies such as Japan, Russia and the United States. Illustrated throughout with full-colour artwork, this fascinating study offers a detailed and definitive guide to the design, development and legacy of the Royal Navy's battleships at the turn of the 20th century as they paved the way for the coming of the Dreadnought.

British Ironclads 1860–75

Download British Ironclads 1860–75 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472826876
Total Pages : 49 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis British Ironclads 1860–75 by : Angus Konstam

Download or read book British Ironclads 1860–75 written by Angus Konstam and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-09-20 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In November 1859, the French warship La Gloire was launched. She was the world's first seagoing ironclad - a warship built from wood, but whose hull was clad in a protective layer of iron plate. Britain, not to be outdone, launched her own ironclad the following year - HMS Warrior - which, when she entered service, became the most powerful warship in the world. Just like the Dreadnought half a century later, this ship changed the nature of naval warfare forever, and sparked a frantic arms race. The elegant but powerful Warrior embodied the technological advances of the early Victorian era, and the spirit of this new age of steam, iron and firepower. Fully illustrated with detailed cutaway artwork, this book covers the British ironclad from its inception and emergence in 1860, to 1875, a watershed year, which saw the building of a new generation of recognisably modern turreted battleships.

US Standard-type Battleships 1941–45 (2)

Download US Standard-type Battleships 1941–45 (2) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472807014
Total Pages : 125 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis US Standard-type Battleships 1941–45 (2) by : Mark Stille

Download or read book US Standard-type Battleships 1941–45 (2) written by Mark Stille and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-12-20 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book completes an authoritative two-part study on the Standard-type US battleships of World War II – ships that were designed to fight a different type of war than the one that unfolded. It gives precise technical details of the design history and features of the Tennessee, Colorado and the unfinished South Dakota and Lexington classes, whilst providing an operational history of the former two. Written by a leading expert on the US Navy in World War II and augmented by contemporary photographs and specially commissioned illustrations, this is the other half of the story of the US Standard-type battleships – from the terrible damage they sustained at Pearl Harbor to their support of the war-winning landings of the US Marine Corps and US Army.

US Standard-type Battleships 1941–45 (1)

Download US Standard-type Battleships 1941–45 (1) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472806980
Total Pages : 97 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis US Standard-type Battleships 1941–45 (1) by : Mark Stille

Download or read book US Standard-type Battleships 1941–45 (1) written by Mark Stille and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-03-20 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by US Navy expert Mark Stille, this book offers a unique insight into the Standard-type classes of US battleships. It provides a detailed investigation into the histories of each of the warships in the Standard-type battleship classes, the first three of which, the Nevada, Pennsylvania and New Mexico, formed the US Navy's main force in the inter-war period. The Standard-types reflected a new design philosophy: by designing each class to meet common standards of maneuvrability and handling, vessels of different classes could operate as a single tactical unit without being limited by the performance of the slowest and least maneuvrable ship. At the time of their construction, these ships incorporated the latest design features such as triple gun turrets. Although they were rendered increasingly obsolete by evolving naval doctrines and the ascendance of the fast battleship, they served with distinction throughout World War II. This study combines analysis of design features and an absorbing narrative of operational histories to offer a comprehensive picture of the Standard-type battleships, from the brutal destruction of the USS Arizona to the triumphant occupation of Japan.

World War II US Fast Carrier Task Force Tactics 1943–45

Download World War II US Fast Carrier Task Force Tactics 1943–45 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 147283657X
Total Pages : 65 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis World War II US Fast Carrier Task Force Tactics 1943–45 by : Brian Lane Herder

Download or read book World War II US Fast Carrier Task Force Tactics 1943–45 written by Brian Lane Herder and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-02-20 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on difficult-to-access wartime documents and other contemporary sources, this is the first compact, illustrated study of the tactics and techniques of the US fast carriers of Task Forces 50, 58 and 38 during the naval war against Japan in 1943–45. This title concentrates on exactly how these highly successful forces actually operated: their composition in ships, aircraft and men; the essential technology at their disposal; the evolving doctrine for their employment; the opposition and dangers they faced; and how they overcame them at the tactical level. It explains in straightforward terms the intricate details of topics such as how ships manoeuvred, how aircraft were deployed and recovered, the formations and approaches used by fighters, dive-bombers and torpedo-bombers against naval and land targets, and how Task Forces defended themselves. The text is supported by a wide range of wartime photos and full-colour illustrations, showing, for example, the formations employed by ships and aircraft, with altitudes and ranges throughout the course of attacks.

D-Day Fleet 1944, American Sector

Download D-Day Fleet 1944, American Sector PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472863631
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis D-Day Fleet 1944, American Sector by : Brian Lane Herder

Download or read book D-Day Fleet 1944, American Sector written by Brian Lane Herder and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2024-12-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fully illustrated study of how the US-led half of the Normandy invasion fleet was composed, commanded, and how it fought, from D-Day until the fall of Cherbourg. The D-Day landings and their aftermath were among the most complex and important naval operations in history. With the target beaches divided into two areas of responsibility – one US-commanded, one British – this armada launched a month-long operation to first support the landings, then to protect, supply, and support the troops ashore, as they fought to expand their toehold in occupied Europe. In this book, illustrated throughout with 3D diagrams, photos, maps and dramatic artwork, naval historian Brian Lane Herder explains how the US Navy-led Western Task Force was built, and outlines its operations off Normandy during June 1944. It covers this multinational fleet's organization, assembly, and training, as well as the intelligence and logistics picture, and explores its actions that were so crucial to success on D-Day, from its superb and continuous minesweeping efforts to the aggressive gunfire support off Omaha and Utah beaches. A unique portrait of the American naval sector in the D-Day landings, this book also examines the Western Task Force's operations off Normandy after the beachheads were established, including the destruction of the American Mulberry harbor in a storm, up to the conquest of the port of Cherbourg in late June 1944.

US Navy Protected Cruisers 1883–1918

Download US Navy Protected Cruisers 1883–1918 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 147285702X
Total Pages : 113 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis US Navy Protected Cruisers 1883–1918 by : Brian Lane Herder

Download or read book US Navy Protected Cruisers 1883–1918 written by Brian Lane Herder and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-07-20 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the history of the US Navy's 11 new steel warships, built during the late 19th century to advance American naval supremacy. After the American Civil War, the powerful US Navy was allowed to decay into utter decrepitude, and was becoming a security liability. In 1883, Congress approved four new steel-constructed vessels called the “ABCD” ships. The three protected cruisers Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago were the first steel warships built for the US Navy, whose 1880s–1890s technological and cultural transformation was so total it is now remembered as the “New Navy”. This small fleet was joined by a succession of new and distinctive protected cruisers, culminating in the famous and powerful Olympia. These 11 protected cruisers formed the backbone of the early US steel navy, and were in the frontline of the US victory in the 1898 Spanish-American War. It was these warships that fought and won the decisive Battle of Manila Bay. These cruisers also served faithfully as escorts and auxiliaries in World War I before the last were retired in the 1920s. Written by experienced US naval researcher Brian Lane Herder, and including rare photographs, this book explores the development, qualities, and service of these important warships, and highlights the almost-forgotten Columbia-class, designed as high-speed commerce raiders, and to mimic specific passenger liners. All 11 protected cruisers are depicted in meticulously researched color illustrations with one depicting the Olympia deploying her full sail rig.