Theodore Roosevelt and the Great White Fleet: American Sea Power Comes of Age

by Kenneth Wimmel

Book by Wimmel, Kenneth

Genres: History

292 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jeffrey Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kenneth Wimmel writes a pretty comprehensive account of the changes in Sea Power from the end of the Civil War to just before World War I. Even though the title is Theodore Roosevelt and the Great White Fleet, don't expect much in the way of coverage of the Great White Fleet's expedition. This is very much a look at the policies that led to the need for sending the fleet around the world. Herein lies its strength. Instead of focusing on the actions of the fleet, as most accounts do, Wimmel provides the context.

He covers the influence of Stephen Luce and Alfred Thayer Mahan on a political rising star, Theodore Roosevelt. He extensively covers various facets of who and what influenced Roosevelt in regards to naval affairs, especially during the time he served as Assistant Navy Secretary. It was Roosevelt, as Acting Navy Secretary, who got the United States on a war footing to properly execute the naval campaign against Spain, and it was Roosevelt who negotiated the end of the Russo-Japanese War. The connections to the old navy and the new navy are wrapped up in the personalities and careers of two men - Theodore Roosevelt and Alfred Thayer Mahan, and should not be overlooked. Wimmel highlights this extensively, which is why this is a gem for all naval and military historians to refer to when looking at the origins of the World Wars and the influence on contemporary military policy.