Review of "The U. S. Navy in World War I: Combat at Sea and in the Air," by A. B. Feuer

Review of

The U. S. Navy in World War I: Combat at Sea and in the Air, by A. B. Feuer ISBN 0275962121

Five out of five stars

While World War I had raged on the seas for years before the United States entered the conflict and the U. S. was not well-prepared for battle against an experienced enemy, after the declaration of war between the United States and the Central Powers the ships and planes of the U. S. Navy saw a great deal of action. This is the story of the American fighters, generally told in the form of personal accounts.

 Some of the stories are what one would expect, given that the historical emphasis is always on the battle of the Atlantic around the British Isles between the German submarines and the Allied forces. However, Feuer is to be commended, for he extends the coverage to other regions of the world. Very few people other than those committed to history would know that in World War I German submarines operated off the east coast of the United States. There is coverage of that aspect of the fighting.

 Other regions that are the location of the accounts of American seamen in action are the Adriatic Sea near Italy and even on a river vessel in China. Although the American forces were ill-prepared for a war of that magnitude when the U. S. declared war, naval forces fought hard and well in many locations and this book contains many of their personal stories.