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MILITARY BOOKS

John D. Alden

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Commander John D. Alden, USN (ret.) is a retired U.S. Navy commander and World War II veteran, has written five books published by the Naval Institute Press and numerous articles for Proceedings and Naval History magazines and other journals.  John D. Alden is the author of American Steel Navy: A Photographic History of the U.S. Navy from the Introduction of the Steel Hull in 1883 to the Cruise of the Great White Fleet; The Fleet Submarine in the United States Navy: A Design and Construction History;  Salvage Man: Edward Ellsberg and the U.S. Navy; Flush Decks and Four Pipes; and, U.S. Submarine Attacks During World War II: Including Allied Submarine Attacks in the Pacific Theater.  John D. Alden is also noted as the co-author of The USS Puffer in World War II.

 

According to the book description of American Steel Navy: A Photographic History of the U.S. Navy from the Introduction of the Steel Hull in 1883 to the Cruise of the Great White Fleet, “This classic study tracks the development of the modern U.S. Navy from its first steel ships to its emergence as a mature fighting force known as the Great White Fleet. First published in 1972, the book continues to be in demand because of its outstanding photographic coverage of the ships and men of the early modern Navy and the author s thorough coverage of the Navy s transition from wood and sail to steel and steam. Appendices include outline plans of the major ships and biographical sketches of the important people involved. Anyone with an interest in the U.S. Navy s development between 1883 and 1907 and the cruise of the Great White Fleet will enjoy this fine book.”

 

According to a reader of Flush Decks and Four Pipes, “John D. Alden is a retired U. S. Navy Commander with an eye for detail and the ability to make Naval history come alive. In his book Flush Decks and Four Pipes, Mr. Alden examines the early class of U.S. destroyers known as 'four pipers' or 'four stackers'. He follows them from their inception in 1917 through all their service, including World War II. Not only that, Mr. Alden provides a record of each of the 273 four stackers (indexed by hull number and name), including its commissioning and decommissioning dates and its ultimate fate.

 

The book is filled with black and white photographs and stories of particular four stackers, including illustrations of several that were overhauled or converted as time went by. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the old four piper destroyers. The only thing it lacks are some color plates which would help modelers and others to visualize paint schemes.”

 

According to the description of The Fleet Submarine in the United States Navy: A Design and Construction History, “This book has long been considered the definitive study of the fleet submarine, one of the most successful types of warships ever built. It presents a comprehensive analysis of the submarine's design, construction, and development. The author traces its metamorphosis from the T and V classes through wartime boats and postwar Guppy and other conversions up to the 1980s. Dozens of rare photos, profile line drawings, a detailed type plan, and statistical appendixes complement the text in this large format book. The book's wealth of technical data is offered in a frame of historical reference that will appeal to the general reader and World War II history buffs as well as serious students of the submarine.”

 

According to a reader of U.S. Submarine Attacks During World War II: Including Allied Submarine Attacks in the Pacific Theater, “A good book for the researcher. No stories just the facts. The text is laid out like a computer file. From the beginnning of WWII until the end, each engagement by a USN submarine is documented. Location, date and time, method of attack, shots fired, target type and size, and result. Japanese confirmation, if known, is also noted.”


American Steel Navy: A Photographic History of the U.S. Navy from the Introduction of the Steel Hull in 1883 to the Cruise of the Great White Fleet,
John D. Alden  More Info

Salvage Man: Edward Ellsberg and the U.S. Navy
John D. Alden  More Info

The Fleet Submarine in the United States Navy: A Design and Construction History
John D. Alden  More Info

The USS <I>Puffer</I> in World War II
Craig R. Mcdonald  More Info
Flush Decks and Four Pipes
John D. Alden  More Info
U.S. Submarine Attacks During World War II: Including Allied Submarine Attacks in the Pacific Theater
John D. Alden  More Info

According to the book description of the The USS Puffer in World War II, “Submarines were responsible for about 55 percent of the tonnage of the Japanese fleets sunk during World War II. The 22 percent casualty rate of U.S. submariners was the highest of the military services. This volume traces the career of the submarine the USS Puffer from the laying of her keel and her commissioning on April 27, 1943, until her departure for the scrap yard in late 1960. Compiled from interviews with former crew members, including the author's father, Donald B. McDonald, as well as other contemporary sources, it follows the crew of the Puffer through nine war patrols. Events recollected include the First War Patrol, which resulted in a record-setting 38 hour submergence because of enemy fire; the dangerous transfer of torpedoes while surfaced in enemy waters; and the wild bombardment of Japanese shore installations with the 5-inch deck gun. There are numerous wartime photographs and appendices providing a list of awards earned by the crew and a summary of claimed successful attacks. Brief biographies of the seven commissioned officers are also included.”

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