SHIELD OF THE REPUBLIC

A vivid, nuanced, often witty log on the modern Navy. In the first of two-volume study, Isenberg (History/US Naval Academy; John L. Sullivan and his America, 1988) covers the years from the end of WW II to the Cuban missile crisis—which he calls a ``humiliating disaster for the Soviet Union [and] a misleading triumph for the United States.'' 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 (as well as encouraging) the threat of atomic holocaust but also helped ensure our virtually unchallenged dominion of the seas—and allowed Washington's frequently arrogant policy-makers to impose their will on a genuinely global scale. Isenberg goes on to provide illuminating perspectives on the many occasions on which presidents yielded to the temptation to employ the flexible, mobile strike-potential of the nation's armada to keep the peace (or otherwise) during the height of East/West confrontation: cases in point encompass Formosa, Korea, Laos, Lebanon, and Suez. Covered as well 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 (a landing ship tank is like ``a dumpy building with a shopping cart'') without undermining the seriousness of his purpose. A long voyage that handsomely repays the time invested. The comprehensive text—which invites favorable comparison with works by John Keegan, Samuel Eliot Morison, and other giants of military history—is accompanied by maps and 70 photos (not seen).