Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History by Craig L. Symonds

Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History Reviews

• 
  Mark Mears

  Excellent history perspective. The narrative keep the reader captivated, anticipating the next tidbit of information or connection between historical events.
  
  Many things are obvious, but it is the context which Mr. Symonds provides which is so enjoyable. An example is the weeks long time lapse to get information from combat to Washington during the War of 1812; how when telegraph cables were laid commanders in combat theaters felt like errand boys due to “quick” orders from home. Yet by Operation Preying Mantice in the Gulf War, a pilot waited 3 minutes for the secretary of defense to be contacted, speak to the President, who authorized the pilot to fire. 3 minutes.
  
  Mr. Symonds delivers on a unique comparison of five important naval engagements in American history. It was fascinating.
• 
  Mark Peebler

  The five battles are 1) The Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 2) The Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862 (Monitor vs Virginia) 3) The Battle of Manila Bay 1898 4) The Battle of Midway in 1942 5) Operation Praying Mantis in 1988. Very well written and insightful. I enjoyed very much reading about Perry's victory on Lake Erie, and I especially enjoyed the behind the scenes details of Operation Praying Mantis, which I remember from the news reports of the time (1988).
• 
  Pierce Banks

  Interesting look at 5 battles of the US Navy and their long term implications for the United States, naval warfare, or power struggles globally. In depth analysis of the key players and moments of each conflict including how they developed, were fought, and the key outcomes. Succinct enough to scratch the itch of learning of each battle without needing to go through an entire book about each individual conflict.
• 
  Jack

  Interesting account of five important naval battles. I’m not sure I agree that these were the most important for us, but they certainly did have impact. The most fun fact was that I learned where the expression“ fire when ready Gridley” came from. Hornfischer’s WWII books do a better job describing naval warfare but this one did enlighten me on other battles and on what “ships of the line” means
• 
  Pat

  Excellent dive into 5 micro cosms of our navel history!
• 
  David Barnes

  Excellent with many new insights. The best kind of book
• 
  Kari

  Great overview of five big naval battles
• 
  Darren Sapp

  Great deep dive on significant naval battles using a similar model as Victor Davis Hanson did in Carnage & Culture.
• 
  Rick Cheeseman

  Solid historical accounting, as always.
• 
  Mark

  Decision at Sea covers the Battle of Lake Erie (1813), Hampton Roads (1862), Manila Bay (1898), Midway (1942), and Operation Praying Mantis (1988). As something of a bonus, the prologue covers the Battle of the Chesapeake (1781) and recent operations in the Persian Gulf.
  
  
  
  With the exception of Midway, these battles do not ordinarily make the list of the "greats," which definitely adds to the interest, since (outside of Midway and the Monitor vs. the Virginia [ex-Merrimack] at Hampton Roads) these stories are not often told. Also, the focus is slightly different: Decision at Sea concentrates on those battles that marked turning points in the history of the United States, an angle not usually considered:
  
  
  
  - The Battle of Lake Erie secured the northwestern frontier and enabled the initial phase of westward expansion
  
  - Manila Bay marked the emergence of the US as a world imperial power, even if somewhat accidentally
  
  - Midway was the turning point of World War II in the Pacific and set the US on course to become a postwar "superpower"
  
  - Praying Mantis (the most obscure of the battles covered) set the current course of close engagement in the Persian Gulf region and highlighted the role (positive and negative) of the US as the "world policeman"
  
  
  
  One could argue that Hampton Roads does not really belong in this group, but a book of this nature could hardly pass over the Civil War without comment, and the Monitor-"Merrimack" fight can serve as well as many-- although, from a strategic standpoint, i think a good case could have been made for Farragut at New Orleans or at Mobile Bay instead.
  
  
  
  The alert reader will pick up on some of the threads of continuity... heroes of one fight frequently have vessels named after them involved in the following sections, for instance.
  
  
  
  Great read.
• 
  Stephen

  So far so good. I'm nearing the end of the second key naval battle Symonds discusses, which means I finished reading about Oliver Hazard Perry's battle on Lake Erie. Symonds unfolded the story of that naval battle and the days leading up to it like a novel. Stripped of the lesser details and unnecessary background information - the first two chapters have been factual storytelling at its best. If the rest of the book keeps up the pace and excitement, I would recommend it as a highly readable summary of some of the USN's most important naval battles.
  
  UPDATE:
  The rest of this book didn't disappoint. If you want concise accounts of the selected naval battles, you're in for a treat. In the end, Lake Erie and Earnest Will/Praying Mantis were my favorite. In fact, Symonds' account of Praying Mantis inspired me to read Inside the Danger Zone by Harold Lee Wise.
• 
  Marvin Baker

  As a fiction writer I find a lot of research material to be less than thrilling. Fortunately, Symonds' structure and prose make each of the five battles recounted here accessible and just plain fun to read. Granted, once the author moves from the actual history to projections of how history was changed by each, we enter the realm of speculation, but, Symonds acknowledges this up front. I especially found his comments following The Battle of Manila Bay to be particularly compelling: how one military commander's decision making process involved the United States in a bloody insurrection that lead to a new role for this country as a hegemonic power. In short, if you are seeking an accessible commentary on America's growth into a world superpower, Decision at Sea, offers up five solid examples of how the US Navy has become the strong arm of global projection into the modern century.
• 
  William Bradford

  The good: A very detailed analysis of four battles (the last is more a series)that had a profound effect on American history. Minutely researched descriptions of the battles, their place in history, and how they affected American history. Great fir people who love naval history.
  The bad: Anytime you try to extrapolate that one one naval engagement changed overall history (not just naval history) you are walking into the realm of conjecture. The author acknowledges this in the acknowledgements. I can definitely buy Midway being the turning point of the Pacific theater in World War II, and Hampton Roads certainly changed naval warfare forever, but I felt the conclusions were sometimes a bit of a reach. This was especially evident in the final chapter and epilogue.
• 
  Jared Bryson

  Five major battles in US Naval History - each of which had a huge impact on US National History.
  
  A book written by a teacher, rather than an writer. It was a different perspective, as the author discussed why he thought this battle was a milestone in US History.
  
  An interesting book for me, as I had never spent significant time reading about Perry's victory on Lake Erie, the Monitor vs the CSS Virginia, Dewey's victory in Manila Bay, or the events in the Persian Gulf against the Iranian Navy in Operation Praying Mantis (The Battle of Midway was the other sea battle discussed in detail).
  
  Anyway - great book - thoroughly enjoyed the read. Like sitting through an enjoyable history class.
• 
  John

  A solid and accessible offering that mixes the larger historical picture with the lived impact of command decisions on individuals. Underlying Symonds's narrative is a focus on the technological advances that, while they have undergirded naval development worldwide, contribute to American dominance on the seas. The book boarders on the jingoistic at times, and those well versed in military history will find some of the chapters uninformative (the Monitor and Virginia and the Battle of Midway, for example). Despite continuing a listicle-like trend in popular histories that will surely doom us all (X things/people/events that shaped/changed/ended Y thing), I enjoyed reading his prose and learned more about several events from a less-familiar perspective.
• 
  Matthew Dambro

  The author is clearly an expert on naval history. However, he stretches too far in assessing the importance of these naval battles. As a synopsis of the role of technology in naval warfare he is spot on. But as he tries to draw social and political conclusions from the increasing reliance on training and technology in war at sea, he overstates his case. His style is a wonder to behold. He takes battles at sea which are notoriously difficult to describe and explain and makes them clear and even gripping narratives. His assessments might go a step too far but his writing is beautiful.
• 
  Jt

  It is a great overview of 5 major naval battles throughout the US history and describes how they influenced US history on a large scale. It also ended with a great prologue describing modern naval warfare and how it changed after 9/11. Great history, but also a fun read.
• 
  Conor

  It's hard to rate a book about naval history with five stars, but if I were judging it among other books about naval history I'd give it five stars. This book takes something that sounds as boring as 'naval history' and made the subject enjoyable, exciting, and fun to read. Good book.
• 
  Luis

  This is a really nice book, the epilogue finalize a turn that started with the battle for Manila bay that was unexpected for me, since I never saw the US from that perspective. Nice read.
• 
  Jeffrey Cavanaugh

  A good account of five "pivotal" naval battles of US history.
• 
  Kevin Keating

  Really good book. Well written and interesting subjects. Pretty good synopsis of the two gulf wars.
• 
  John Feagans

  A well written and interesting book. What is fun is to compare Symonds' chapter on Midway to his book on Midway. His understanding of the battle has changed.