Books by Trent Hone
“According to Hone, what made the US Navy successful was a culture of learning. Naval officers during the 1920s and 1930s didn’t learn strict doctrine, but “clouds of options.” They came to naval problems not with a set of steps to follow, but with a big menu of options to consider. This gave them a flexibility that allowed successful adaptation and response to unexpected developments, like the sinking of most of our battleships at Pearl Harbor. In the Navy today, there’s a fear that we’ve moved too far away from the intellectual roots Trent identifies.” Read more...
The best books on American Naval History
John Kroger, Military Historians & Veteran
“This is a very intelligent book. And it’s intelligent at different levels. It talks about the actual professional challenges which they faced about trying to prepare the US Navy for a future war. Everybody faces the challenges of the future, of course. If you’re building an armed service, by definition, you’re preparing for the future, which is always unknown. So the only thing you’ve got to go on is the past, or your vision of what the past means.” Read more...
The best books on Naval History (20th Century)
Nicholas Rodger, Military Historians & Veteran
Interviews where books by Trent Hone were recommended
-
1
After Jutland: The Naval War in North European Waters, June 1916-November 1918
by James Goldrick -
2
The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval Command
by Andrew Gordon -
3
The Silent Deep: The Royal Navy Submarine Service since 1945
by James Jinks & Peter Hennessy -
4
Battle Line: The United States Navy, 1919–1939
by Thomas C. Hone & Trent Hone -
5
World War II at Sea: A Global History
by Craig L. Symonds
The best books on Naval History (20th Century), recommended by Nicholas Rodger
The best books on Naval History (20th Century), recommended by Nicholas Rodger
In the world wars of the twentieth century, naval warfare has often been given a secondary role. But as naval historian Nicholas Rodger explains, the protagonists who thought like that lost. Here, he chooses five books that explain the military role and development of navies over the course of the 20th century.
-
1
US Navy: A Concise History
by Craig L. Symonds -
2
Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy
by Ian W. Toll -
3
Sea of Glory: America’s Voyage of Discovery
by Nathaniel Philbrick -
4
The Two-Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War
by Samuel Eliot Morison -
5
Learning War: The Evolution of Fighting Doctrine in the U.S. Navy
by Trent Hone
The best books on American Naval History, recommended by John Kroger
The best books on American Naval History, recommended by John Kroger
The story of the American navy is deeply intertwined with that of the nation, says John Kroger—former Chief Learning Officer to the US Navy—although we don’t always afford naval history the attention it deserves. Here he selects five of the best books about American naval history and predicts a renewed focus on Pacific naval defenses in the coming decades.
