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Book Review

CIMSEC Holiday Reading List 2023

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By the CIMSEC Team

Happy holidays shipmates! The CIMSEC team has once again put our heads together for what is our fourth annual Holiday Reading List. Below you will find a selection of books we have read and enjoyed over the past year and some that we plan on enjoying in the future (and that we think you might enjoy, too). And of course, we have noted when recommended authors have been interviewed by CIMSEC and come on the Sea Control Podcast to talk about their work. So whether you need to find a book for that special navalist in your life, or if you need something to read on the beach with your toes in the sand, or curled up by the fire – we have got you covered. Enjoy, and happy holidays from the CIMSEC team to all our readers and listeners!

Brendan Costello
Sea Control Associate Producer

The Admirals by Walter R. Borneman

Borneman masterfully reviews the naval careers of all four of the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Admirals – Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King – from their humble beginnings in Annapolis to the height of the Second World War, and their instrumental roles therein. Alongside illustrating their influence in the Pacific theater, Borneman simultaneously conveys each admiral’s personal leadership style and mutual interactions that portray their very human flaws and strengths. The Admirals is an intriguing look at the human component of leadership and some of the United States’ greatest military leaders in its greatest moment of crisis. 

The Chinese Invasion Threat by Ian Easton

The Chinese Invasion Threat analyzes the military and political factors of a cross-strait amphibious invasion of Taiwan. Most analysis from the U.S. perspective on a cross-strait conflict emphasizes countering PLA operations in the Western Pacific and largely undervalues the island and its immediate waters. Easton’s analysis not only provides a unique perspective on the strategic importance of Taiwan to a growing discourse on intelligence analysis, but is infused with the author’s cultural, social, and geographic understanding gleaned from years of study and life on the island. For anyone interested in the Indo-Pacific, especially those of the amphibious variety, this is a must-read.

Chip War by Chris Miller

Miller reviews the humble beginnings of the semiconductor, the intricacies of semiconductor design and production, and the microchip’s current and future significance. He seamlessly blends the economic and geopolitical motivations and challenges of every major stakeholder in the industry, revealing that the future of American military dominance, and China’s, hinges on tiny, nano-meter-thick slabs of silicon. If you want to understand the importance of East Asia to American technological development and foreign policy, this is a great place to start.

Dmitry Filipoff
Director of Online Content

The Origins of Victory: How Disruptive Military Innovation Determines the Fates of Great Powers by Andrew Krepinevich

Military transformation has had an outsized impact on the course of global events and history. The ability of militaries to effectively transform and be superior learning organizations is closely connected to their ability to win and deter wars. In this deeply illuminating book, Andrew Krepinevich dives into major historical case studies of how militaries transformed themselves and evolved their visions of future warfare. Krepinevich focuses on the key personalities and institutional properties that enable or hinder military transformation. The result is an insightful work that shines a light on how to navigate the often tortuous and risky process of military transformation. Origins of Victory also highlights critical shortfalls in the U.S. military’s ability to be an effective learning organization, its deep-seated struggle to manifest meaningful new operational concepts, and how this bodes for its future competitiveness.

Navy Staff Officer’s Guide: Leading with Impact from Squadron to OPNAV by Dale C. Rielage

Navy staffs perform invaluable work for the fleet, yet formal staff officer training may not effectively prepare officers for all the challenges and opportunities that come with these roles. In the Navy Staff Officer’s Guide, Dale Rielage provides a comprehensive overview of major naval staff functions and responsibilities. Rielage draws on extensive personal experience working on navy staffs to describe critical staff dynamics and offer recommendations on how to succeed. The Naval Staff Officer’s Guide is also infused with practical anecdotes and vignettes that illustrate what and what not to do as a staff officer. This book will long serve as an outstanding resource and in-depth look at how Navy staffs enable critical command functions and serve the fleet. Read CIMSEC’s interview with Dale on the Naval Staff Officer’s Guide here.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

A diplomat arrives in the heart of the capital city of a powerful galactic empire, determined to preserve the independence of her small polity. Yet her arrival is overshadowed by the recent assassination of her predecessor, whose long absence from home obscures the political state of play. Gripped by imperial intrigue and surrounded by violently deteriorating politics, diplomat Mahit Dzmare is inexorably pulled into the highest levels of empire as unconscionable bargains are considered and discovered. A Hugo Award winner, A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine is a spellbinding story of political machination, brimming with alluring personalities and weighty mysteries. Its engrossing sequel and fellow Hugo Award winner, A Desolation Called Peace, reveals how the politics of fleet commanders and defense ministers can be decisive, especially in an escalating first-contact war.

Andrew Frame
Sea Control Associate Producer

In The Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

The American Revolution may have been started on the green in Lexington, Massachusetts, but the end began in the choppy waters off Chesapeake Bay. By late 1780, Washington knew he needed the help of the French Navy. But coordinating a land army with a fleet was next to impossible. On the first of September 1781, the Battle of the Chesapeake – fought without a single American ship – set the last moves in play that would eventually culminate in the victory at Yorktown.

Operation Drumbeat by Michael Gannon

Fifteen days after Pearl Harbor, U-123 backed out of the submarine pen in Lorient, France, and began a patrol the would bring the war in Europe to the American homeland. Michael Gannon tells the story of the first U-boat attacks along the United States Atlantic Coast during World War Two. For almost seven months, they chewed through shipping unimpeded, demonstrating an incompetence on the part of U.S. Navy leadership that cost dearly in lives, cargo, and ships.

The Ship and the Storm by Jim Carrier

If you are old enough, you may remember Miami-based Windjammer Barefoot cruises, “tall ships” that took passengers on hedonistic Caribbean cruises starting in the late 1950’s. Jim Carrier takes us though the period around October 27, 1998 when Hurricane Mitch sank the 282-foot schooner, taking 31 lives. His narrative explores the lives of the passengers, crew, and the ownership, as the tragedy unfolds against a timeline of National Hurricane Center advisories.

Nathan Miller
Sea Control Co-Host

They Marched Into Sunlight by David Maraniss

While not explicitly a maritime book, They Marched Into Sunlight, is easily the best book on the Vietnam War I have ever read. Maraniss utilizes three narratives in his book (infantrymen on the front lines, student-protestors, and political decision makers) to capture the chaos of the U.S. experience.

Lincoln and His Admirals by Craig L. Symonds

This book does a masterful job of exploring the complex and enthralling characters of the Union Navy in the American Civil War. Symonds investigates not only the strategic and operational aspects of Union efforts, but the interpersonal and political intrigue that typified the top decision makers in that conflict. This book is also a recipient of the Lincoln Prize.

Armada by Colin Martin and Geoffrey Parker

Armada is an exhaustive investigation of the Spanish attempt to invade England in 1588. Dr. Colin Martin was also a guest on Sea Control 467 to speak about this seminal work. I was struck not only by the astounding detail, academic rigor, and photos but by the ease with which one can read this book.

Power Up edited by Steven Leonard, Jonathan Klug, Kelsey Cipolla, and Jon Niccum

Steven Leonard came on Sea Control 473 to discuss his most recent work, Power Up. This edited volume explores the character building and leadership themes that make superheroes so compelling. Leonard is also known as Doctrine Man and regularly publishes humorous and insightful cartoons on a variety of social media platforms.

To Be Read:

The Greatest Coast Guard Rescue Stories Ever Told edited by Tom McCarthy

The Greatest Coast Guard Rescue Stories Ever Told is the next book on my “to read” list. It is an edited volume that documents some of the United States Coast Guard rescues that have built its reputation as the preeminent search and rescue (SAR) organization in the world

Walker Mills
Sea Control Co-Host and CIMSEC Senior Editor

The Mediterranean: A History edited by David Abulafia

I read this book while on vacation in Spain and Italy and it helped me understand the places I was visiting in the greater context of Mediterranean history. Abulafia has pulled together nine excellent chapters that cover the maritime and terrestrial history of the Mediterranean, from pre-history to the present ,and work well as an introduction to the region or in challenging some of the history you thought you knew.

White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan by Mick Ryan

The latest book from retired Australian general Mick Ryan is fiction and it is a book I quite literally couldn’t put down. A prescient mix of combat narrative, just-out-of-reach technology, and a realistic geopolitical scenario, the book will push readers to think about the possibility of a Taiwan crisis more seriously. It is a worthy companion of books like Ghost Fleet and 2034: A Novel of the Next War. You can also listen to Ryan talk about his approach to “useful fiction” on Sea Control 258.

To Be Read:

Maritime Unmanned: From Global Hawk to Triton by Ernst Snowden and Robert Wood

As the U.S. Marine Corps and other sea services around the world look increasingly toward the capability provided by unmanned systems, understanding the history of unmanned systems in the maritime domain is important. I’m looking forward to digging into this one.

Chris O’Connor
Vice President

Questioning the Carrier by Jeff Vandenengel

Building off the work of Captain Wayne Hughes and Captain Jerry Hendrix (ret.), among others, this is a clear-eyed examination of the fleet design of the U.S. Navy and how it should be changed in the era of missile warfare. The book reads as a short history of naval warfare and technological change with excellent breakdowns of air, surface, and undersea warfare tactics and how they apply to the current carrier-centric fleet. The future “Flex Fleet” that it proposes does not fix all fleet design problems, but the discussion in the book is a vital part of the debate.

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

Despite this book’s over 1,100-page length, I burned through it. Published in 2000, it is a healthy dose of historical fiction about a Second World War secret crypto detachment, weaved into a plot that takes place in 1999. It is a journey that passes through the history of computing and cryptography, with multiple narratives that weave a conspiracy storyline across generations. I know that I did not get all the programming references in this book, but I found it a fun read that had a healthy balance of the cerebral and the exciting.

Erebus: One Ship, Two Epic Voyages, and the Greatest Naval Mystery of All Time by Michael Palin

This book is the perfect holiday read for anyone who is maritime history and geography buff. It chronicles the age of polar exploration for the mid-19th Century Royal Navy, when there was a competition between the maritime nations for geographic and naturalistic discoveries. Its readability keeps the wealth of interesting facts coming with the subtle humor and dry tongue-in-cheek sensibility of the comic mind of a Monty Python member who was also the President of the Royal Geographical Society. Bonus: The audiobook is read by the author!

Addison Pellerano
Sea Control Associate Producer

The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I by Douglas Brunt

This is a little-known history about the inventor and the story behind how the diesel engine came to be. Coupled with the mystery of his disappearance, it is an interesting history book about an episode that changed naval power forever.

On Dangerous Ground: America’s Century in the South China Sea by Gregory B. Polling

Poling details the United States’ history in the South China Sea, between territorial disputes, and the moves that each nation has or has not taken up to the present day.

The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare by Christian Brose

An inside look on how the U.S. government and Department of Defense acquire platforms and weapons to fight America’s wars. Brose argues that we should break from the current model to move towards a model that focuses on the idea of a “Kill Chain” rather than specific capabilities. 

Jared Samuelson
Executive Producer and Co-Host of the Sea Control

The Titanic and the City of Widows It Left Behind – The Forgotten Victims of the Fatal Voyage by Julie Cook

A great story of the forgotten personal impacts from an author with a personal history with the disaster. Listen to the author discuss the book on Sea Control 476. 

Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare From the First World War to the Present Day by Michael Glynn

Whether you are a novice or a professional with a few decades of experience hunting submarines, this book has a lot to offer on one of the most complex tactical problems confronting modern naval officers. Glynn also happens to be a tremendous interview guest and you can listen to him on Sea Control 468.

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny & Murder by David Grann

Grann goes into the archives to discuss the arduous journey endured by the crew of the Wager as they wrecked on the southern tip of South America before making their way home. A great story that spurs the reader to ponder what they would do in trying circumstances. Listen to Grann on Sea Control 440. 

In Deepest Secrecy: Dutch Submarine Espionage Operations from 1968-1991 by Jaime Karremann

Most readers will be familiar with Blind Man’s Bluff, the story of U.S. Cold War submarine operations. In this book, Jaime Karremann chronicles operations by the Dutch Navy, to include their initial sorties into northern waters that just barely avoided catastrophe, as well as operations in the Mediterranean against Soviet fleets at anchor. You can find Karremann on Sea Control 444. 

Chris Stockdale
President 

The Deadly Trade: The Complete History of Submarine Warfare from Archimedes to the Present by Iain Ballantyne

Ballantyne’s work charts the early development and use of submarines in warfare and the various roles they played in the First and Second World Wars. Particular analysis is given to some of the most important and impactful missions conducted by more notable boats during the conflict, highlighting the contribution of submarines and their crews. The work also brilliantly covers the Cold War period and gives considerable insight into the roles of submarines during this era and their importance in ensuring and maintaining nuclear deterrence at sea. This is a first-class read, highly interesting, well written and well researched. For those with an interest in submarine warfare, I thoroughly recommend it!

Featured Image: Artwork created with Midjourney AI.

Book Review

The CIMSEC Holiday Reading List 2022

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By the CIMSEC Sea Control Podcast Team

Happy holidays Shipmates! We’ve have put our heads together for our third annual Holiday Reading List. Below you’ll find a selection of books that we’ve read and enjoyed over the last year and some that we plan on enjoying in the future (and that we think you might enjoy, too). And of course, it should come as no surprise that we’ve interviewed more than a few of the authors we have recommended. Enjoy, and happy holidays from the CIMSEC team to all our readers and listeners!

Joshua Groover
Sea Control Associate Producer

Freaks of a Feather by Kacy Tellessen

The book that started it all, Freaks of a Feather led me down a rabbit hole of memoirs written by Marines. Tellessen, a Marine Corps machine gunner and the alleged only Marine to ever carry a .50-cal receiver the full 20 kilometers during the final hike at the School of Infantry, tells the story of his time in the Marine Corps. He was deployed twice to Iraq and saw significant combat during his first deployment. Tellessen’s relaxed tone and honesty make for an interesting read that grapples with the trials of combat, and its long-term impacts on the individual.

Guns Up! by Johnnie M. Clark

My favorite read this year, Guns Up! follows Johnnie Clark, a Marine Corps machine gunner in the famed 5th Marine Regiment, through the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. The book is a gripping testament to the courage, dedication, and grit displayed by Clark and his fellow Marines during the Tet Offensive – I could hardly put it down when I was reading it!

With The Old Breed by E.B. Sledge

A Marine Corps and American Classic, With The Old Breed puts you in the shoes of E.B. Sledge aka “Sledgehammer” through his time in the Pacific during the Second World War. Sledgehammer served as a mortarman in the 5th Marine regiment. He chronicles the heroism, bravery, and sacrifice shown by Marines fighting in the Pacific, and the horrors and ravaging effects of war through his experiences at Peleliu and Okinawa.

19 Stars by Edgar F. Puryear Jr.

If you are looking for a book on leadership in the military, look no further. 19 Stars documents the “military character and leadership” of generals George S. Patton, Jr., Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, and George C. Marshall. The book is informative and provides the reader with excellent templates on how to lead themselves.

To Be Read:

The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan by Elliot Ackerman

Very excited to read this book given how recent the US withdrawal from Afghanistan occurred. Ackerman is a retired Marine and former CIA paramilitary officer who spent considerable time deployed to Afghanistan. He also played a significant role in the evacuation of Afghan nationals who helped the Coalition in Afghanistan. In the book, Ackerman documents this and other events that occurred in the week leading up to the U.S. withdrawal. The first part of the book sucked me right in – can’t wait to read the rest! Ackerman talked to us for Sea Control 247 about his recent book War in 2034.

Anna McNeil
Sea Control Co-Host

Best Cutters of the Best Coast Guard by The Claw of Knowledge

This much-anticipated Kickstarter project is the author’s second book. Written to honor the crews of the Coast Guard’s most famous ships by connecting their efforts in a long blue line, this effort reflects on just how significant (and often overlooked) an impact each ship can have over the span of their operational service. Illustrated with the plucky sort of self-effacing humor that has endeared the author to Coasties everywhere, this book is nonetheless an extensively researched and smartly assembled account of relatable events given historical context. You won’t want to miss it, and we simply must have the author on the podcast once he or she is ready for a book tour!

Maritime Cybersecurity by Dr. Gary Kessler and Dr. Steven Shepard 

This 2022 refresh to the highly regarded original has been well0received by maritime security professionals everywhere. Chock full of case studies and practical content, this is an excellent reference written by experts in their craft. Check out CIMSEC Sea Control Episode 293 to hear from Dr. Kessler and Dr. Diane Zorri on cyber threats and chokepoints.

This is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race by Nicole Perlroth

Recommended to me by an academic well-versed in both engineering and legal disciplines, this New York Times Best-Seller is a journalist’s account of how a single conversation overheard by chance led her down a winding path of intrigue and strategic competition. This book promises to be an interesting read, and to give context to how we have arrived in an era of modern ‘bug bounty’ programs. 

The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr and George Spafford

This book is a fictional account an Information Technology employee at a big business. You might not think this is for you at first blush, but it was recommended to me when asked IT professionals for a case study on successful ‘steering the boat’ of an enterprise’s security architecture to head in a new direction. If you’d like a pragmatic solution which gives you hope for your own organization’s security architecture challenges, you might want to read this book. Not to be confused with The Phoenix Program.

Red Famine by Anne Applebaum 

Recommended to me by a geopolitical analyst as “the best book for understanding Russia’s history of punishing Ukraine, and why Ukraine is fighting so hard to push them back.” An Economist best book of the year.

Walker Mills
Sea Control Co-Host
CIMSEC Senior Editor

Asia’s Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific by Robert Kaplan

After starting with Kaplan’s book Monsoon about the Indian Ocean before a trip to Sri Lanka, I have become a huge fan of Kaplan’s style and read several more of his books. Kaplan’s blend of travel writing and geopolitical analysis make his work easy reading but leave the reader with lasting impressions of foreign lands. Asia’s Cauldron (2014) is just old enough to be prescient and a great place to start for anyone interested in learning more about the complex South China Sea region.

The End of the World Is Just Beginning by Peter Zeihan

Zeihan is a self-professed geopolitical strategist and bestselling author. He writes in an easy-to-read bordering on flippant style that mask a barrage of data that will challenge your preconceptions on economics, geography, security and great power competition. While I didn’t love the style or agree with all of Zeihan’s conclusions, I have spent more time thinking about this book than any other I have read in the past year.

Oil and War: How the Deadly Struggle for Fuel in WWII Meant Victory or Defeat by Robert Goralski and Russell W. Freeburg

After having reread this book for a class at the Naval Postgraduate School, I am again recommending it to everyone I can. Originally written in the 1980s, it is not ground breaking historical research (Adam Tooze’s magisterial Wages of Destruction would be a better bet for that), but it makes abundantly clear the importance of energy, particularly oil, to military operations. Russian logistical incompetence during the initial stage of their invasion of Ukraine make clear how relevant Oil & War remains, and a reprint from Marine Corps University means you can download it for free.

Magdalena: River of Dreams, a Story of Colombia by Wade Davis

After spending the last three years living and working in Colombia, this is one of the best books about the country that I have read. It comes from an unusual source, Wade Davis is a Canadian who fell in love with the country as a student, but sometimes it takes an outside to truly understand and convey the essence of a place. The book is really an explanation of modern Colombia with the narrative following the Magdalena River from its source in Central Colombia to the Caribbean – passing not only through the stunning landscape of Colombia and it’s rich history, but also all of the strife, conflict, and tragedy that have shaped the country over the last 500 years.

To Be Read:

Adriatic: A Concert of Civilizations at the End of the Modern Age by Robert Kaplan

Adriatic is Kaplan’s most recent book (2022) and it is part travelogue and part memoir, with a healthy dose of Kaplan’s reminisces about the region. After enjoying several of his other books like Balkan Ghosts, Asia’s Cauldron, and Monsoon, I can’t wait to tear into his newest work and I’m stoked that it’s centered around a body of water.

Victory at Sea: Naval Power and the Transformation of the Global Order in World War II by Paul Kennedy

Victory at Sea is one of those books that I’ve heard so much about but have not been able to read yet. I just picked up a copy and I’ve already take some time to look at the beautiful illustrations by Ian Marshall. If you want a teaser or a recap, we did a great episode with Dr. Kennedy about his book for Sea Control 378.

Jared Samuelson
Sea Control Executive Producer

Adrift: The Curious Tale of LEGO Lost at Sea by Tracey Williams

My wife started laughing the instant I took this book out of its packaging: “This is literally all of your interests in a single book.” She was correct and you can listen to the podcast we did with Tracey, Sea Control 340, is great. It’s as much a scrapbook as it is a book, including beautiful maritime art, pictures of Tracey’s own finds, and poetry. There are also informative sections on the long-term impact of plastic on our oceans. 

On Wide Seas by Claude Berube

Dr. Berube is one of the most vocal CIMSEC supporters and a phenomenal Sea Control guest, but that’s not why his book is here. He’s used the book to produce a study of the U.S. Navy in the 1830s, a period overshadowed by the War of 1812 and American Civil War. There’s a particular focus on Andrew Jackson’s relationship with the Navy, technical developments and the intellectual growth of the Navy’s officer corps.

Underwriters of the United States: How Insurance Shaped the American Founding by Hannah Farber

“I went looking for adventure, and instead I found insurance,” was how Dr. Hannah Farber explained her research for this book when she joined us on Sea Control 380. The extent to which marine insurance impacts international trade and economic relationships has become more obvious as a result of the invasion of Ukraine and subsequent negotiations over Black Sea grain, but before that it played a critical role in the birth of the United States.

Cats in the Navy by Scot Christenson

You’re going to approach this book expecting a lot of pictures of cats on ships, and you won’t be disappointed. But amongst all the stills of cats lounging in adorable hammocks, there’s a lot of information packed in: the reason cats started going to sea, cats as a recruiting tool, superstitions, and more. Coming to a Sea Control episode near you!

Working Boats – An Inside Look at Ten Amazing Watercraft by Tom Crestodina

A spectacular addition to any children’s book collection. Incredible detailed artwork by the author and great explanations for all sorts of shipboard gear. If you’ve ever struggled to explain to a younger relative what it’s like to go to sea, this book will help start a conversation with some immersive visual aids. 

To Be Read:

Forging Wargamers: A Framework for Professional Military Education Edited by Sebastian Bae

Sebastian is going to read this and shoot me a note written with the tone a disappointed grandfather would use when addressing his grandson who broke a garage window. I will get to it and it looks excellent! One other great benefit to this book: because it’s published by Marine Corps University Press, it’s free! Click that hyperlink. The whole thing is there! Sebastian has been a repeat guest on the Sea Control podcast.

Marie Williams
Sea Control Associate Producer

The Constitution of Knowledge by Jonathan Rauch

This book is about the epistemic crisis in our public life. “How we know what we know.” How our shared social knowledge matters. And how our institutions matter. Writing in clear, easy prose, Rauch makes a strong case for both defending democracy and not losing touch with reality (it never works out well, he writes). I came away feeling armed, at least in my mind, for modern information warfare. 

Dmitry Filipoff
Director of Online Content

Dying to Learn: Wartime Lessons from the Western Front by Michael Hunzeker

Wartime learning and adaptation is a convoluted but necessary business. Militaries need to do their absolute best to properly understand and adapt to future war in peacetime, but many concepts and capabilities will break in the naturally unforeseen chaos of conflict. Institutions must be well-designed to translate combat lessons into rapid military reform in the midst of pressing combat operations. Michael Hunzeker’s Dying to Learn is a gripping analysis of wartime learning in WWI and lays out how the various powers on the Western Front adapted their doctrine and their institutions during the course of great power war. Hunzeker assesses the fundamental building blocks of effective force development, including centralized training, decentralized experimentation, and how leaders properly manage these functions. All modern militaries can benefit greatly from these insights and mitigate the extent to which their warfighting methods will collapse in future combat crucibles. Read CIMSEC’s interview with Hunzeker on Dying to Learn here.

The Inheritance: America’s Military After Two Decades of War by Mara Karlin

There are plenty of books on the Global War on Terror, yet few if any have systematically attempted to capture the comprehensive impact these conflicts have had on the U.S. military. After having served in civilian national security roles for five different Secretaries of Defense, Mara Karlin is well-positioned to understand how the military has been deeply affected by the Global War on Terror. Karlin interviewed more than 100 individuals for this book, most of whom served as senior general and flag officers during the Global War on Terror. They offered their candid and deeply personal perspectives on the legacies of this conflict. But The Inheritance reveals much more than the personal psychological scars of these wars, which have considerable policy implications. It highlights the fault lines that have emerged between American society and its military, and the military and its civilian masters, which may pose significant consequences for how America will go to war in the future.

Collin Fox
CIMSEC Senior Editor

Victory at Sea: Naval Power and the Transformation of the Global Order in World War II by Paul Kennedy

The Allure of Battle: A History of How Wars Have Been Won and Lost by Cathal J. Nolan 

Victory at Sea is a brilliant and beautifully illustrated capstone on Kennedy’s classic, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers. It traces the rise of the U.S. Navy through the Second World War to unrivaled dominance in the post-war era. The Allure of Battle is a millennium-spanning survey of mostly land wars. Despite their differing scope and focus, both books converge toward a similar compelling thesis: The outcome of war is usually decided by the latent strength and endurance of the belligerents. Novel technologies, innovative tactics, brilliant commanders, and pitched battles are interesting and often exciting, but both books argue persuasively that these factors rarely decide the final outcome of a war. Factors of national power and geography are presented as far more predictive of victory and defeat. Also be sure to check out Sea Control 378 with Dr. Kennedy.

Book Review

A Holidays 2020 Reading List

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By the CIMSEC Sea Control Podcast Hosts

Aloha Shipmates! We at the CIMSEC Sea Control Podcast have put our heads together to come up with a “Holidays 2020 Reading List” or perhaps more appropriately named  “What We Were Able to Read This Year…” reading list. We’ve each chosen a few books that we read and loved this year and are at least tangentially related to international maritime security. We’ve also included a few that either we didn’t get to in 2020 or we’re looking forward to in 2021.

Walker Mills

Missionaries, by Phil Klay, Penguin Press, 2020. 

Missionaries is veteran author Phil Klay’s second work, coming after his award-winning collection of short stories Redeployment (2014). Well-received by U.S. and Colombian critics, Missionaries is a wrenching story about several characters coming together in Colombia as the government was finishing a peace agreement with the FARC in 2015-2016. Klay uses his characters and their lives to explore violence at the human, community, and system levels and its impact on the human soul. 

Feeding Victory: Innovative Logistics from Lake George to Khe Sanh, by Jobie Turner, Kansas University Press, 2020. 

Feeding Victory is an eminently readable book about logistics in war. Jobie Turner, an Air Force colonel, breaks down five different case studies in logistics – all unique in their own way. The history is mixed with analysis and takeaways for the contemporary practitioner. Perhaps most interesting to CIMSEC readers will be the Guadalcanal case study where Turner compares and contrasts Japanese and American expeditionary logistics in the months-long struggle for the island. 

Cod: A Biography of the Fish the Changed the World, by Mark Kurlansky, Penguin Books, 1997.

Though over twenty years old, Cod is still a riveting introduction into the world of commercial fishing through a deep dive into the history of a single fish: Atlantic Cod. Fishing is more relevant than ever – in 2020 the United States Coast Guard released an “Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported Fishing Strategic Outlook,” massive Chinese fishing fleets off the Galapagos attracted international attention, and the United Kingdom has threatened to use naval vessels to protect its fisheries in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Kurlansky’s book is a quick read and each chapter includes a recipe for cod to help deal with the inevitable craving. Listeners can check out Sea Control 206 about the “Cod Wars” between Iceland and the UK or Sea Control 219 to catch a conversation with USCG Commandant Karl Schultz about the IUU Fishing Strategic Outlook. 

To-be-read:

The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare by Christian Brose, Hachette Books, 2020.

Adaptation Under Fire: How Militaries Change in Wartime, by David Barno and Nora Bensahel, Oxford University Press, 2020.

Both of these are books came highly reviewed and despite the fact that I pre-ordered them I still have not managed to read them yet. But I’ve followed the authors’ work at War on the Rocks and intently listen to their podcasting. I’m sure these books won’t disappoint.

2034: A Novel of the Next War, by Elliot Ackerman and James Stavridis, Penguin Press, 2021.

Can’t overstate how excited I am for this one. Ackerman is a former Marine who has written several very good books, including the award-winning Dark at the Crossing, and Stavridis has written several previous books about leadership (including another book on this list) and his extensive Navy experience including serving as former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO.

Jared Samuelson

Learning War, by Trent Hone, Naval Institute Press, 2018.

Selling Seapower: Public Relations and the U.S. Navy, 1917-1941, by Ryan D. Wadle, University of Oklahoma Press, 2019.

These books are paired because they address the question “how did we get here?” for two different communities in the Navy. If you are a surface warfare officer, you have undoubtedly spent hours in the darkened cold of your ship’s Combat Information Center. How did that space come to be, why is it designed the way it is, and what problems was the Navy trying to solve? Learning War addresses all those questions and, if that weren’t enough, you get a graduate-level discussion of the evolution of the officer corps and some early 1900s ship design. Listen to Sea Control 209 with author Trent Hone to learn more. I thought Selling Seapower did much the same for today’s public affairs community, from its birth in the Office of Naval Intelligence, the development of the collateral duty Public Affairs Officer, and the Navy’s relationship with mass media (spanning early radio to film). 

The Alice Network: A Novel, by Kate Quinn, William Morrow Paperbacks, 2017.

The best possible endorsement I can give this book is that I read it in less than 48 hours while co-parenting an infant and doing my day job. It was that good. The pace is incredible and the historical setting will have you picking up your phone to Google “did X really happen” multiple times. The author’s follow-up, The Huntress, is sitting on my to-be-read pile.

The Riddle of the Sands, by Erskine Childers, Modern Library, 2002.

Originally printed in 1903, The Riddle of the Sands was a recommendation from an old friend and former CO that took me completely by surprise. The book is the story of two friends ostensibly on a late summer sailing expedition in the Baltic and North Seas who stumble onto a sinister plot whilst being pursued by German agents. No less than Winston Churchill cited the novel as a reason the British ultimately established multiple naval bases on the North Sea prior to World War I.

To-be-read:

Grey Dawn: A Tale of Abolition and Union, Balance of Seven, 2020, by Sea Control 163 guest and now host of her own podcast, Friday Night History, Dr. Nyri Bakkalian. 

How the Few Became the Proud, Naval Institute Press, 2019 by Sea Control 184 guest Dr. Heather Venable. I have a literal signed copy just waiting to be cracked open. Massive personal failure on my part.

Wargaming Experiences: Soldiers, Scientists and Civilians, by Natalie Wojtowics, J10 Gaming, 2020.

Battle in the Baltic: The Royal Navy and the Fight to Save Latvia & Estonia, 1918-1920, by Steve R. Dunn, Naval Institute Press, 2020.

This book seemed like a logical successor after reading Michael B. Barrett’s Operation Albion: The German Conquest of the Baltic Islands in preparation for Sea Control 168. Cautiously optimistic the author will be coming to a podcast near you in 2021!

Anna McNeil

Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds, by David Goggins, Lioncrest Publishing, 2018.

If talks about resilience and hope are ringing empty in your ears this holiday, or you feel depression and disempowering thoughts setting in, this is the book I suggest you begin with. Cultivate the knowledge that you can and will get through to a brighter future. Then, move forward with intention for the new year ahead.

Honor Harrington series, by David Weber, 2002-2017.

Science Fiction. Space Navy. Military-Industrial complex. Vast sprawling strategic positioning and tactical level skirmishes. Personal assistant on the Commander’s shoulder and in her ear. A female protagonist who lives up to the name Honor. The first of this series, On Basilisk Station, was given to me by my grandfather, a retired U.S. Navy Electronics Technician. It was a large part of the reason I considered joining the Navy. The best fiction is that through which we can more clearly imagine possibilities for ourselves in the real world. Fiction lovers can check out the wrap-up of CIMSEC’s Fiction Week in Sea Control 216 with an interview of the winning authors Mike Burke and Nick Nethery. 

The Good Shepherd, by C.S. Forester, reissue by Penguin Books, 2018.

Yes, Hollywood made a movie of this already, but the discussion on social media about the proper use of helm commands doesn’t even scratch the surface of how much justice is done to the seagoing service. Read the first ten pages and you’ll see why I was suddenly inspired to write Steering Casualty and Tactical Signals drill cards.

To-be-read:

Navigating the Seven Seas of Leadership: Leadership Lessons of the First African-American Father and Son to Serve at the Top in the US Navy, by MSCM (ret) Melvin G. Williams Sr., and VADM (ret) Melvin G. Williams, Naval Institute Press, 2011.

Wisdom direct from the experiences of one very special military family, written down and offered to the benefit of anyone willing to read it. This book was written with such generosity and goodwill toward all mankind that it simply must be on my holiday reading list.

The Military Lens: Doctrinal Differences and Deterrence Failure in Sino-American Relations, by Christopher P. Twomey, Cornell Studies in Security Affairs, 2010.  

I suppose this could be considered a book about peace on Earth. Or rather, understanding how to use the military to lead options other than shooting wars.

Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World, by Andrea Pitzer, Scribner, 2021.

Get ready to be transported out of your own struggles into the tale of the famous polar explorer William Barentz’s year-long fight for survival in the Arctic. Out in January 2021! 

Jonathon Frerichs

Fleet Tactics and Naval Operations, Third Edition, by Wayne Hughes and Robert Girrier, Naval Institute Press, 2018.

 A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy, by James R. Holmes, Naval Institute Press, 2019.

During a month-long temporary duty assignment to Naples, Italy, I recognized that I utterly lacked an understanding of how the Navy operates (despite having deployed on three different Marine Expeditionary Units, or MEUs). Seeking answers, I picked up Fleet Tactics and Naval Operations from the Navy Exchange on base. With nothing else to do in the evenings but eat Napoli pizza, I quickly devoured the book and found it immediately valuable in expanding my knowledge of naval operations. Upon completion, however, I found myself thirsting for a better understanding of how naval forces have contributed to obtaining national strategic objectives. 

Enter A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy – a perfect complement. This short, digestible book is power packed with historical examples and an easy-to-apply framework through which to look at the application of naval forces from competition to crisis to conflict. For either the military historian or the naval practitioner, this book is guaranteed to be a great read and valuable resource. 

The Art of War: A New Translation by Michael Nylan, Sun Tzu, W. W. Norton and Company, 2020. 

I have digested bits and pieces of various translations of The Art of War over my career, but never sat down and read it cover to cover. When I saw @teaandtactics recommend the book, I decided I would bite and resolve my academic shortfall. Combining a depth of Chinese history and a nuanced fluency of the Chinese language, Nylan has created a translation that is easy to read, cover-to-cover. Additionally, in her introduction she provides an opportunity to apply the ideas of strategy and conflict to life outside of war. 

To-be-read:

To Rule Eurasia’s Waves: The New Great Power Competition at Sea, by Geoffrey Gresh, Yale University Press, 2020.

Just received my copy of this book. Upon a quick scan, I am excited to digest the multinational look at great power competition in the maritime domain. Many recent books have focused on looking at great power competition through a bipolar lens (Russia/United States or China/United States) but this book appears to take a much more expansive and systemic look at how great powers compete in the maritime domain. If you’re interested in To Rule Eurasia’s Waves, be on the lookout for a future Sea Control episode. 

The Pacific War trilogy, by Ian Toll, W. W. Norton & Company, 2011-2020.

I continue to see these recommended from military history scholars and servicemembers alike.

Andrea Howard

If 2020 did not provide enough existential fodder for society, The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World  Basic Books, 2018, by Pedro Domingos serves as one of the best introductions on how machine learning – and the prospective development of a unifying master algorithm – will forever alter the world. Unsupervised learning algorithms can structure and illuminate meaning from raw data, and the naval-oriented mind will see the innumerable applications from fire control systems to underwater mapping. 

Shifting over to a work that explicitly discusses the impact of cyber developments in the warfare domain, I recommend Cyber Security and Cyberware: What Everyone Needs to Know by P.W. Singer and Allan Friedman, Oxford University Press, 2014. While exploring the ramifications of the Stuxnet virus and cyber units within the American and Chinese military structures, the authors outline how future conflicts will touch every individual via cybercrime in the financial realm and attacks on infrastructure. 

To round out the two above choices, the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ top choice for 2020 is a strategic must-read. The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare by Christian Brose, Hachette Books, 2020 explores the emerging technologies that present disturbing threats to American military superiority, but he also advocates for the development of a battle network of systems (a “kill chain”) to uphold deterrence and ultimately prevent war. 

To-be-read:

For my upcoming deployment, I’m intending to bring along The Leader’s Bookshelf by Admiral James Stavridis and R. Manning Ancell, Naval Institute Press, 2017 to consume the lessons learned from the active and retired four-star military officers’ habits and favorite books. The promised efficiency will be necessary for the small bits of time afforded before hitting the rack and awaking for watch.

Readers and listeners can get to know the podcast team better by listening to Sea Control  214 “Meet the Team!” or finding us on Twitter at @jwsc03,  @AndreaR_Howard, @WDMills1992, @2BAtSea, and @hoplitemarine. 

Featured Image: Book collection, photo via the U.S. Naval War College.