On Seas of Glory: Heroic Men, Great Ships, and Epic Battles of the American Navy

by John F. Lehman Jr.

In On Seas of Glory the U.S. Navy meets a storyteller worthy of its epic. John Lehman was Ronald Reagan's Secretary of the Navy, and the man most responsible for rejuvenating the service during the 1980s. Lehman here gives a sweeping narrative of the Navy, from the Revolutionary War to the present day, filled with the ships that dominated, equally titanic personalities, and the battles that made history. Lehman profiles naval greats -- from John Paul Jones and David Glasgow Farragut to Commodore George Dewey and FDR -- but also gives credit to the lesser-known sailors who have made the U.S. Navy the mightiest in the world. On Seas of Glory uses the diaries, memoirs, and letters of average sailors to reveal naval combat as though firsthand. A powder boy during the War of 1812 recalls running to fetch cartridges through torrents of blood; the letters of the author's own father show what it was like to survive kamikaze attacks off Okinawa at the close of World War II; and the bravery of naval pilot Tim Howard during Grenada proves the spirit of John Paul Jones is not dead. The sweeping narrative also highlights the warships that have dominated the seas of their day, and the battles in which they Constitution vs. Gurriere, Stephen Decatur's United States vs. Macedonian, New Orleans, Manila Bay, Pearl Harbor, Inchon, and many more. Detailed battle maps illustrate actions great and small; woodcuts, paintings, and never-before-published photographs make war on the water still more vivid. Amid the smoke and fire, Lehman also makes an argument. He reminds us that the legends chronicled in these pages were real men and women, and that their heroism is no less needed today. With an insider's gusto and knowledge, he fights fiercely for the continuing importance of the Navy. Alfred Thayer Mahan, the intellectual godfather of the modern U.S. Navy, said that naval power exists not just to fend off the enemy but to smite him down. On Seas of Glory On Seas of Glory is the story of that smiting.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

448 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2001

About the author

John Francis Lehman Jr. is a former secretary of the US Navy (1981–1987) during the Reagan administration in which he promoted the creation of a 600-ship navy.

Reviews

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating telling of naval history, well done, only rated this low because the earlier stuff is snappier. As he approaches first the Cold War and then the area of his experience (since 1960s), his point of view takes over, pointedly uncritical of first Kissinger and then Reagan, critical of our man President Carter and modern Democrat administrations. In fact, Carter was a submariner, but you never get any reference to that among the many fine stories told here. The author excels at writing for a general audience, briefly summarizing long stories and involved shipgoing sagas. Published in 2001 just before 9/11, this is a fine summary before that, well, sea change. I'll be looking into some of these stories and web references.
Recommended, with those caveats.

[Laurent Reinhardt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps the most high-profile Secretary of the Navy ever, John Lehman provides a history of the US Navy from the beginning Revolutionary War to the end of the Cold War, focusing on the individuals and battles that made a difference. Though self-serving at times, I enjoyed the perspectives he provided, not only his own, but those of individuals in his family tree and fellow Philadelphians, such as Joshua Humphreys and Uriah Levy, to name a few. Lehman describes US naval history as "a field that is subject to the finest of pedantic combs." (p72) As if on cue, I noticed he gave credit to Benjamin Rush, one of early America's most prominent physicians and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, for carving the figurehead of the USS United States. That credit actually belongs to William Rush, a neoclassical sculptor also from Philadelphia, possibly a relative, who carved figureheads for four of the original six frigates of the US Navy.

The book's coverage of World War II is excellent, but I was disappointed in its cursory treatment of World War I. Though previously and subsequently told via other books and platforms, I appreciated Lehman's account of his time in office and the successful conclusion of the Cold War a few years later. On balance, it's a good read for those interested in US naval history from the perspective of one who was part of it.

[Steve Wegman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A history of the US Navy from the revolutionary war to 2000 written by the Secretary of the Navy under Reagan. His early history is interesting - I learned lots, but as he got to Viet Nam and forward, his bias toward militarism and the Navy specifically moved it away from being history and into promoting his ideas. He hates Carter for shrinking the Navy. He never mentioned that Carter is a Navy man himself. He says we had to have a big navy so we can project power, like to stop Iraq when it invaded Kuwait. It never crossed his mind that maybe that was a fight we should have stayed out of.
It was published in 2001, which means pre-9/11, so much of his thinking seems dated.

[John Cates · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting blend of big picture stuff & human interest stories - although Lehman served under Reagan, its not to heavy on the political thing but does discuss some of the differences of opinion during those days and how they impacted naval operations.

[Mohamed Ahmed Aboushama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading the book I was thinking that the book maybe not be specified in the moves that the Americans did in world war 2 but after I did read it .it was like I am in the battle itself...
Great book I love it.

[Jason Mesiarik]

Timeless masterpiece for entrepreneurs and sales professionals.

[Lewis Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and thorough history of the U.S. Navy (the good and the bad).

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Lehman was Secretary of the Navy under Reagan and a man who knows the importance of sea power. On Seas of Glory is about the American use of sea power to protect and project US national interests from the earliest days of the Continental Navy.

It is not a comprehensive history of the US Navy however. What it is, is a reflection of it's title, Heroic Men, Great Ships and Epic Battles.

The strength of the book in my opinion is the heroic men aspect. Lehman tells us of some people we may never have heard of or of those who may have been forgotten. His focus on these characters make it real as we come to understand that many were just ordinary people who behaved heroically when they had to.

On Seas of Glory is divided into a number of short sections. It was like reading a succession of short stories, either about heroes, ships or the battles they fought.

I bought the book at a flea market. What caught my eye was the first chapters that covered the Continental Navy and the the War of 1812 in the age of sail. What kept me going was Lehman's talent for telling the story.

[Virgil · Rating 3 out of 5]

One must understand that this is a very subjective book, written from the point of view of a former Secretary of the Navy. If anything, Lehman is more qualified than most to write on the history of the American Navy, but be forewarned that as entertaining as the book can be, Lehman is no Mahan. This is more a book for the casual reader, not a historian. That said, his anecdotes on the history of the Navy, several selected battles, and his own tenure as Navy Secretary under Reagan are fascinating. While I'm inclined to disagree with some of his personal opinions (including a bewilderingly strident condemnation of FDR, who loved the Navy so much he called the Navy "us" and Army "them"), it still makes for a good and not very laborious read. I may have given this book one more star if not for the numerous spelling and grammar mistakes throughout. Lehman should get a refund from his editor.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for the all around history buff.

[Adam]

I just like reading about navy

[Peter Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a total sap for boat books.

[Geoffrey Hazelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting history about the US Navy and it's men.