American Amphibious Warfare: the Roots of Tradition to 1865
Friedman, Hal (2018-01-01). "American Amphibious Warfare: the Roots of Tradition to 1865". Civil War Book Review. 20 (4). doi:10.31390/cwbr.20.4.15. ISSN 1528-6592.
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Abstract: The article, “American Amphibious Warfare: The Roots of Tradition to 1865” by Hal Friedman, is a review of Gary Ohl’s book on the early American approach to amphibious warfare up to 1865. The reviewer appreciates Ohl’s contribution to the historiography of naval warfare and highlights his introduction of new perspectives and concepts, such as differentiating between amphibious offensives and defensives.
Ohl argues that early American amphibious warfare traditions bear some resemblance to modern post-Cold War naval doctrines like “From the Sea,” although he notes that the historical context of these different eras requires clearer explanation . The book emphasizes historical policy analysis, integrating history with strategic planning and policymaking, though this approach might be polarizing among historians.
However, the review points out certain organizational weaknesses in the book, particularly regarding the introduction of terminology. Ohl delves into 20th-century terms, such as “amphibious warfare” and “amphibious operations,” without adequately explaining their application to pre-1900s events. There is a lack of dedicated sections tackling whether amphibious warfare existed before the 1900s and analysis of their implications.
Moreover, while the book addresses the continuity of amphibious warfare traditions, it does not fully explore how historical memory was maintained in the United States Marine Corps when other services failed to do so. The review suggests that more contextual analysis, particularly in terms of terminology and bridging historical gaps, could enhance the understanding provided by the book. Overall, despite these criticisms, the reviewer sees the book as a valuable addition to the field of military history.
Extra details:
MAG: 2912610703 CorpusID: 53667007 OpenAlex: W2912610703
