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Campaigns and Commanders #66
Small Boats and Daring Men: Maritime Raiding, Irregular Warfare, and the Early American Navy (Volume 66)
Two centuries before the daring exploits of Navy SEALs and Marine Raiders captured the public imagination, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps were already engaged in similarly perilous raiding pirate camps, attacking enemy ships in the dark of night, and striking enemy facilities and resources on shore. Even John Paul Jones, father of the American navy, saw such irregular operations as critical to naval warfare. With Jones’s own experience as a starting point, Benjamin Armstrong sets out to take irregular naval warfare out of the shadow of the blue-water battles that dominate naval history. This book, the first historical study of its kind, makes a compelling case for raiding and irregular naval warfare as key elements in the story of American sea power.
Beginning with the Continental Navy, Small Boats and Daring Men traces maritime missions through the wars of the early republic, from the coast of modern-day Libya to the rivers and inlets of the Chesapeake Bay. At the same time, Armstrong examines the era’s conflicts with nonstate enemies and threats to American peacetime interests along Pacific and Caribbean shores. Armstrong brings a uniquely informed perspective to his subject; and his work—with reference to original naval operational reports, sailors’ memoirs and diaries, and officers’ correspondence—is at once an exciting narrative of danger and combat at sea and a thoroughgoing analysis of how these events fit into concepts of American sea power.
Offering a critical new look at the naval history of the Early American era, this book also raises fundamental questions for naval strategy in the twenty-first century.
Beginning with the Continental Navy, Small Boats and Daring Men traces maritime missions through the wars of the early republic, from the coast of modern-day Libya to the rivers and inlets of the Chesapeake Bay. At the same time, Armstrong examines the era’s conflicts with nonstate enemies and threats to American peacetime interests along Pacific and Caribbean shores. Armstrong brings a uniquely informed perspective to his subject; and his work—with reference to original naval operational reports, sailors’ memoirs and diaries, and officers’ correspondence—is at once an exciting narrative of danger and combat at sea and a thoroughgoing analysis of how these events fit into concepts of American sea power.
Offering a critical new look at the naval history of the Early American era, this book also raises fundamental questions for naval strategy in the twenty-first century.
280 pages, Hardcover
Published April 18, 2019
13 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 21, 2021
Well this was fascinating! (And dry. At the same time. I don't think I'm part of the intended audience for this book. It's history for historians.)
I learned so much naval terminology ("learned" as in, like, "was utterly clueless when I started but now have a vague idea that a xebec, for instance, is a kind of ship).
And I have such an improved level of appreciation for the age of sail as an intriguing thing. Like. I need to go read Master and Commander or something. Early aviation will always be my favorite, I think, but 18th century ships are pretty fantastic, too.
And, while entertainment is not the primary purpose of this book by any means...certain portions of it got pretty exciting. Good novel fodder, for sure. *emphatic nod*
I learned so much naval terminology ("learned" as in, like, "was utterly clueless when I started but now have a vague idea that a xebec, for instance, is a kind of ship).
And I have such an improved level of appreciation for the age of sail as an intriguing thing. Like. I need to go read Master and Commander or something. Early aviation will always be my favorite, I think, but 18th century ships are pretty fantastic, too.
And, while entertainment is not the primary purpose of this book by any means...certain portions of it got pretty exciting. Good novel fodder, for sure. *emphatic nod*
July 3, 2020
... Or as I called the book "Small Men and Daring Boats." This is a very dense history (accessible, but lots of facts!) of irregular warfare in the early years of the USN. The author makes a convincing argument it has a place in in the navy, because it always seems to be necessary. I think the author is also trying to make an argument for a well-balanced navy (blue water & irregular), but I think the value of the irregular examples he presents is they often use or repurpose what is around to achieve an objective. This is to be contrasted with an acquisition navy, meaning end strength and size is procured years in advance. My only critique is the final section of most chapters is better read first. For another post, I think there are many parallels between cyber and seapower, and if you bend your mind a little, there are good examples for today in this book. This was a very well researched history on a subject we do not often associate with the navy.
July 14, 2019
5/5 for BJ Armstrong. I think the amount of history packed into this book would be hard to compete with. At times, almost information overload, but a well-written, detailed, and partitioned work describing the success of the US Navy through irregular warfare. Guerre de razzia. Somewhat disheartening to see the problems that plague our country, Navy, and Marine Corps today were ones encountered and solved in the 1800’s. A must read for any officer serving in the Department of the Navy (USN & USMC) and a useful work for the development of future policy which will drive strategy, structure, and force employment in a global landscape which will largely be driven by small forces forward deployed in the maritime environment.
September 10, 2021
This history book examines the early history of the US Navy only through the lens of irregular warfare. For example, pillaging the coast and sneaking aboard ships at night to set fire to them. Things like that. I'm not all that interested in this topic (only reading this book for my US military class). However, it stays interesting through the entire book. It focuses on specific stories, from just following the American Revolution all the way up to prior to the Civil War (about the 1830s).
It covers wars such as the War of 1812, the Barbary Wars, and the Sumatran Expeditions of 1832 and 1838. It is a very focused book, arguing the impact of these irregular warfare as opposed to examining larger navy battles which were often prominent during these wars. Because of this, if you are not familiar with US naval forces in general in these wars, it is at times difficult to follow the larger pictures of these wars. Still a fascinating book and one that any military history buff would enjoy.
It covers wars such as the War of 1812, the Barbary Wars, and the Sumatran Expeditions of 1832 and 1838. It is a very focused book, arguing the impact of these irregular warfare as opposed to examining larger navy battles which were often prominent during these wars. Because of this, if you are not familiar with US naval forces in general in these wars, it is at times difficult to follow the larger pictures of these wars. Still a fascinating book and one that any military history buff would enjoy.
June 28, 2020
Exceptionally well-researched and detailed look into a relatively obscure, but critical piece of our maritime history. Well concluded discussion of guerre de razzia’s second tier status to Mahan’s guerre d’escadre (which is alive and well today). This should be a mandatory read for any Marine or Naval Officer confronting issues in the Indo-Pacific.
October 8, 2020
Armstrong tackles the oft-unaddressed side of US naval operations in this fantastic work that reads half history, half adventure novel.
October 14, 2023
A book referenced in a book about space operations it is good. Really puts naval irregular warfare in the time of sail into perspective.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews