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The American Navy

A SHORT BIBLIOGRAPHY

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It would take a great many pages to give a complete bibliography of the subject of the American navy. I must content myself with mentioning only a few of the more prominent works.

There were two navies: that of the Revolution, which disappeared wholly in 1785; and that of to-day, which had its origin in 1794. The two most complete works regarding the former are those of Gardner W. Allen, “A Naval History of the Revolution,” 2 vols., Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1913, and Oscar Charles Paullin, “The Navy of the American Revolution: Its Administration, Its Policy, and Its Achievements,” Cleveland, The Burrows Brothers Company, 1906. This latter deals chiefly with the legislative action respecting the navy and its administration; it is the only one of its class. To these two authors, Dr. Allen and Dr. Paullin, I desire to express my special obligations.

The naval classic, J. Fenimore Cooper, “The Navy of the United States of America,” a book which fascinated the author of the present volume as a boy, carries one from 1775 through the War of 1812 only.

The publications of the Naval History Society, Vol. 1, being the logs of the Serapis, Alliance, and Ariel under the command of John Paul Jones, ed. by John S. Barnes, 1911. Vol. 2 is “Fanning’s Narrative,” also edited by Mr. Barnes, 1912. Fanning’s account of the capture of the Serapis by the Bonhomme Richard is the best existent. There are other volumes, all of much interest.

Robert Beatson, “Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain from 1727 to 1783,” by far the best work of its period on the subject.

Wm. Laird Clowes, “The Royal Navy,” a monumental work in which Admiral Mahan, U. S. N., and Colonel Theodore Roosevelt had part, covers in vols. 3-6 our Revolution and the War of 1812. It is a work of the highest value.

The same should be said of Admiral Mahan’s books, “The Influence of Sea Power upon History,” and “Sea Power in its Relations to the War of 1812,” Boston, Little, Brown & Company, 1905. All his works are important.

G. Lacour-Gayet, “La Marine Militaire de la France sous le Règne de Louis XVI,” Paris, Honorè Champion, 9 Quai Voltaire, 1905, is the best French history of the naval events of the time.

Henri Doniol, “Histoire de la Participation de la France à l’Établissement des États-Unis d’Amérique,” 6 vols., Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, 1892. This monumental work was prepared for the universal exhibition of 1889 and is of highest value to the student.

Charlemagne Tower, “The Marquis de la Fayette in the American Revolution.” A valuable work.

Henry Adams, “The History of the United States, 1800-1817,” 9 vols., New York, C. Scribner’s Sons, 1891. A book of the first rank and importance.

Edgar Stanton Maclay, “A History of the United States Navy,” from 1775 to 1902, 3 vols., New York, D. Appleton & Company, 1902. One of our best and completest histories on the subject.

Gardner W. Allen, “Our Navy and the Barbary Corsairs,” New York, etc., Houghton Mifflin Company, 1905. An excellent book and a complete account.

E. Dupuy, “Americains et Barbaresques,” Paris, R. Roger et F. Chernoviz, 99 Boulevard Raspail, 1910. A book very highly to be praised.

Robert W. Neeser, “Statistical and Chronological History of the United States Navy,” New York, the Macmillan Company, 1909, 2 vols. folio. An invaluable work for the student.

Robert W. Neeser, “Our Many Sided Navy,” Yale University Press, 1914. Well done.

Theodore Roosevelt, “The Naval War of 1812,” New York, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1882. A good and fair book.

The literature of the Civil War is so vast that barest mention can be made of a few works only.

Loyall Farragut, “Life and Letters of Admiral D. G. Farragut,” New York, D. Appleton & Company, 1891.

A. T. Mahan, “Admiral Farragut,” New York, D. Appleton & Company, 1903.

James Russel Soley, “Admiral Porter,” New York, D. Appleton & Company.

John Randolph Spears, “David G. Farragut,” Philadelphia, Geo. W. Jacobs & Company, 1905.

James Russel Soley, “The Blockade and the Cruisers,” New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1890.

A. T. Mahan, “The Gulf and Inland Waters,” New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1883.

Daniel Ammen (Rear-Admiral), “The Atlantic Coast,” New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1883.

“Battles and Leaders of the Civil War,” New York, The Century Company, 1888.

All these are very interesting and valuable.

For the Spanish War, John D. Long (ex-Secretary of the Navy), “The New American Navy,” 2 vols., New York, The Outlook Company, 1903.

F. E. Chadwick, “The Relations of the United States and Spain,” vols. 2 and 3 being “The Spanish War,” New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1911.

There are admirable bibliographies in the works of Dr. Paullin and Dr. Allen covering the periods of which their books treat. The reader is referred to these and other general bibliographies for more complete information than can be given here.

A WORD ABOUT THE AMERICAN BOOKS

The American Books

A Library of Good Citizenship

TO vote regularly and conscientiously and never to have been arrested for disorder is not the be-all and end-all of good citizenship. The good citizen is he or she who bears an active hand in cleansing and making merry the black spots of the neighborhood; who cherishes a home however small; who takes an increasingly intelligent interest in all that contributes to the country’s welfare, and feels a keenly patriotic hope for the future of the nation.

For such citizens THE AMERICAN BOOKS are designed—a series of small volumes on current American problems. The keynote of the series will be the discussion of distinctively American movements and questions connected with the future prosperity of the United States.

The series was planned long before the great war, but it has derived added importance from the position which that great struggle has given America on the face of the globe. The United States, standing aloof from the suicidal bloodshed of the Old World, has necessarily become the peaceful arbiter of the earth’s destinies and the flywheel to keep the world’s industry revolving.

An inquiry into the meaning and tendency of American civilization to-day is thus not only a matter of interest but of patriotic duty. The publishers wish THE AMERICAN BOOKS to be a series of brief, authoritative manuals which will attempt to lay bare some of the problems that confront us to-day; written in popular terms that will inspire rather than discourage the casual reader. The series should prove not only of great interest to all American citizens who wish to aid in solving their country’s pressing problems, but to every foreigner visiting this country who seeks an interpretation of the American point of view.

The publishers wish THE AMERICAN BOOKS to be written by the best men, and to this end they seek the widest publicity for the plan. They will be glad to receive suggestions as to appropriate titles for inclusion in the series and will welcome authoritative MSS submitted from any quarter. In particular they submit the plan to the consideration of the American colleges where the problems of the country are being studied. In science, literature, business, politics, in the arts of war and the arts of peace, the publishers will seek writers who have stood for fearless achievement or equally fearless failure, who will build up A Library of Good Citizenship.

(For complete list of volumes in this series see opposite title page.)

Illustration from The American Navy

THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS GARDEN CITY, N. Y.

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