Who Can Hold the Sea: The U.S. Navy in the Cold War 1945-1960
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- Create Date：2022-05-29 17:22:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：James D. Hornfischer
- ISBN：0399178643
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Summary
A close-up， action-filled narrative about the crucial role the U。S。 Navy played in the early years of the Cold War， from the New York Times bestselling author of The Fleet at Flood Tide
This landmark account of the U。S。 Navy in the Cold War， Who Can Hold the Sea， combines narrative history with scenes of stirring adventure on--and under--the high seas。 In 1945， at the end of World War II， the victorious Navy sends its sailors home and decommissions most of its warships。 But this peaceful interlude is short-lived， as Stalin， America's former ally， makes aggressive moves in Europe and the Far East。 Winston Churchill crystallizes the growing Communist threat by declaring the existence of the Iron Curtain， and the Truman Doctrine is set up to contain Communism by establishing U。S。 military bases throughout the world。
Set against this background of increasing Cold War hostility， Who Can Hold the Sea paints the dramatic rise of the Navy's crucial postwar role in a series of exciting episodes:
- the tests of A-bombs dropped on warships at Bikini Island
- the growing science of undersea warfare and invention of sonar
- the Korean War as a deadly test of naval superiority
- the growth of the modern Navy with its dramatic game-changers: cruisers fitted with surface-to-air missiles， and the invention of the nuclear submarine
- lessons learned from the dramatic sinking of the submarine USS Cochino in the Norwegian Sea
- the USS Nautilus's dangerous， first-ever cruise underneath the North Pole
As in all of Hornfischer's work， the events unfold in riveting--and often surprising--detail。 The story of the Cold War at sea is ultimately the story of America's victorious contest to protect the free world。
This landmark account of the U。S。 Navy in the Cold War， Who Can Hold the Sea， combines narrative history with scenes of stirring adventure on--and under--the high seas。 In 1945， at the end of World War II， the victorious Navy sends its sailors home and decommissions most of its warships。 But this peaceful interlude is short-lived， as Stalin， America's former ally， makes aggressive moves in Europe and the Far East。 Winston Churchill crystallizes the growing Communist threat by declaring the existence of the Iron Curtain， and the Truman Doctrine is set up to contain Communism by establishing U。S。 military bases throughout the world。
Set against this background of increasing Cold War hostility， Who Can Hold the Sea paints the dramatic rise of the Navy's crucial postwar role in a series of exciting episodes:
- the tests of A-bombs dropped on warships at Bikini Island
- the growing science of undersea warfare and invention of sonar
- the Korean War as a deadly test of naval superiority
- the growth of the modern Navy with its dramatic game-changers: cruisers fitted with surface-to-air missiles， and the invention of the nuclear submarine
- lessons learned from the dramatic sinking of the submarine USS Cochino in the Norwegian Sea
- the USS Nautilus's dangerous， first-ever cruise underneath the North Pole
As in all of Hornfischer's work， the events unfold in riveting--and often surprising--detail。 The story of the Cold War at sea is ultimately the story of America's victorious contest to protect the free world。
Reviews
Bruce Johnson
，
The late James Hornfischer was a national treasure as an inspired and supremely gifted historian。 This is a fine chronicle of the post World War II Navy。 Inter service maneuvering during the rapid post war drawdowns， Revolt of the Admirals， Korea， Suez and the dawn of our Navy’s nuclear age…it’s all there。
Maria
，
Just like the title says， this is a history of the US Navy from 1945-1960。 The rush to return all the sailors home， the increase of missions as the Cold War heated up， and the internal fights/scuffles over limited budgets。Why I started this book: The US Navy Professional Reading List introduced me to Hornfischer with his titles of The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U。S。 Navy's Finest Hour and The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pac Just like the title says， this is a history of the US Navy from 1945-1960。 The rush to return all the sailors home， the increase of missions as the Cold War heated up， and the internal fights/scuffles over limited budgets。Why I started this book: The US Navy Professional Reading List introduced me to Hornfischer with his titles of The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U。S。 Navy's Finest Hour and The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific， 1944-1945。 I was thrilled that he had written another book and was so eager to start it。Why I finished it: This whole book was so bittersweet because in the introduction， the reader is informed that Hornfischer knew that he was racing the clock and his illness with this book。 His wife apologized that the ending was more abrupt than in his earlier works。 Fascinating to see all the threads that Hornfischer traced and how they fit into the larger national and international dialog。 。。。more
James
，
Well written and researched book concerning US Navel power from the 1940s through the 60s。 At times while reading I thought I felt the ships' engines vibrating through the deck。 What really floated my boat （sorry） were the discussions about the Navy's part in the Korean War， the changeover from diesel to nuclear power and the North Pole expeditions。 The strategic issues discussed here are relevant to the current strategic issues concerning Ukraine。 Well written and researched book concerning US Navel power from the 1940s through the 60s。 At times while reading I thought I felt the ships' engines vibrating through the deck。 What really floated my boat （sorry） were the discussions about the Navy's part in the Korean War， the changeover from diesel to nuclear power and the North Pole expeditions。 The strategic issues discussed here are relevant to the current strategic issues concerning Ukraine。 。。。more
Joyce
，
This has been very slow reading for me because it is not remotely fiction。 It is a history of the Navy from the later years of World War II through the Cold War。 I find that I can’t sit and read history the way I do fiction。 I have to study it while reading and can only digest a chapter at a time。 I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would want the familiarity it brings to this long and dramatic period in American history， particularly in light with what appears to be happening in ou This has been very slow reading for me because it is not remotely fiction。 It is a history of the Navy from the later years of World War II through the Cold War。 I find that I can’t sit and read history the way I do fiction。 I have to study it while reading and can only digest a chapter at a time。 I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would want the familiarity it brings to this long and dramatic period in American history， particularly in light with what appears to be happening in our world today。 Many thanks to Net Galley and Random House for allowing me the privilege of reading an ARC for an honest review。 。。。more
Joan
，
Why would someone be interested in reading a detailed history of naval operations the decade after WW II？ Because， writes Hornfischer， “the geopolitics of the U。S。 has been driven by maritime realities more than by any other force。” （214/6806） Much of the book deals with the rivalry between the U。S。 Navy and the Soviet Union。 It was only at sea， Hornfischer says， that the U。S。 was superior to Moscow。 （1900/6806）This is a great book for history buffs but would also be of interest to those who wan Why would someone be interested in reading a detailed history of naval operations the decade after WW II？ Because， writes Hornfischer， “the geopolitics of the U。S。 has been driven by maritime realities more than by any other force。” （214/6806） Much of the book deals with the rivalry between the U。S。 Navy and the Soviet Union。 It was only at sea， Hornfischer says， that the U。S。 was superior to Moscow。 （1900/6806）This is a great book for history buffs but would also be of interest to those who want to understand the current relationships between major nations。 Many of the nations currently allied in causes formed those alliances as a result of WW II。 Hornfischer's description of the developing situation in the USSR after WW II sounds much like what is happening today。 I now understand how the concept developed that the U。S。 should be responsible for the security of all mankind， the force needed to secure the freedom of the world。 （1578/6806）Hornfischer writes well。 What could be boring history is brought alive under his pen。 I was caught up in his engaging account of the fire in the sub USS Cochino and the rescue action。 The strange events around the death of Forrestal reads like a mystery novel。 I had read about the testing of atomic bombs by Bikini but learned a great deal about how and why it was done。 So much about radioactivity was unknown at the time great lengths were taken to understand its effects。 We are taken through the Korean War， the Suez Canal crisis， the development of missiles， and the engaging trip of the USS Nautilus under the ice of the North Pole on its second attempt。This book is well written and interesting。 I appreciate the information contained， presented in a readable way。I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher。 My comments are an independent and honest review。 。。。more
Patricia Romero
，
This remarkable work tells of the Navy in the Cold War。 There is history， and adventure， on and under the water。In 1945， at the end of WWII， the Navy is sending its soldiers home and decommissions most of its warships。 And then， Stalin， a former ally， begins to make moves in Europe leading Churchill， worried about the Communists， to declare an iron curtain and the U。S。 set out to establish military bases all over the world。The Navy played a crucial role in that time of increasing tensions。 Thing This remarkable work tells of the Navy in the Cold War。 There is history， and adventure， on and under the water。In 1945， at the end of WWII， the Navy is sending its soldiers home and decommissions most of its warships。 And then， Stalin， a former ally， begins to make moves in Europe leading Churchill， worried about the Communists， to declare an iron curtain and the U。S。 set out to establish military bases all over the world。The Navy played a crucial role in that time of increasing tensions。 Things were happening and they were at the forefront。 The A-bomb tests， the science behind waging war and sonar， and the underwater battles with the submarine。So much research went into this book。 All of his books。 He passed away writing this book。 If you are interested in Naval History， this is the book for you！NetGalley/ May 3rd， 2022 by Bantam 。。。more
Suzette
，
This is a wonderful story for those who love military history。 It pays homage to the Navy for all that it has achieved and all it has missed the mark on。 The author is very proficient at explaining things to the reader in a way that they can understand without having a military background。 It allows you to get a vivid visual picture of what might have been occurring as if you were gazing on the scene。
PamG
，
Who Can Hold the Sea – The U。S。 Navy in the Cold War 1945-1960 by James D。 Hornfischer is the first book that I have read by this author。 The title describes what this non-fiction history book covers in the broad sense。 However， it also gives insight into the people， politics， and policies of the times。This history narrative has the added bonus of action above and below the sea。 As World War II ends， sailors go home and warships are decommissioned。 However， aggressive moves by Stalin in Euro Who Can Hold the Sea – The U。S。 Navy in the Cold War 1945-1960 by James D。 Hornfischer is the first book that I have read by this author。 The title describes what this non-fiction history book covers in the broad sense。 However， it also gives insight into the people， politics， and policies of the times。This history narrative has the added bonus of action above and below the sea。 As World War II ends， sailors go home and warships are decommissioned。 However， aggressive moves by Stalin in Europe and the Far East make this a short time of calm。 George Kennan， the number two man for the United States in Moscow， sends a telegram describing the Soviet Union’s ambitions， pathology， and more。 It helps to shape the Truman administration’s actions in light of this new geopolitical threat。This book is not the dry text of typical histories。 It is filled with facts， people， politics， policies， action， interactions， technological advances， and challenges。 The author shows the many challenges faced by the United States and the U。S。 Navy。 The post war politics between the Army and the Navy was especially interesting。 It’s something you don’t read about in traditional history books。 The many challenges faced by the Navy were political， technical， and strategic。 Additionally， if you think partisan activism and anger at the press is a recent phenomenon， you will know differently after you read this book。Overall， this is a very readable， enlightening， and educational history of the U。S。 Navy during the early days of the Cold War。 At the end are several images of important political and military personnel during this period as well as an extensive bibliography， image credits， and index。 I highly recommend this book to those interested in history， naval history， the early years of the Cold War， and geopolitics。Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine， Bantam provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley。 This is my honest review。 Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way。 Publication date is currently set for May 03， 2022。 。。。more
Joan
，
Review of Uncorrected eBook ProofAs World War II ended， peace was a fragile commodity as the Communist threat grew and Joseph Stalin moved aggressively to occupy eastern European states and to establish Soviet-aligned governments。 An absorbing， introspective， and detailed look at the United States Navy during the cold war with the Soviet Union。 With air power rapidly becoming a primary focus for the military， there was a struggle for the Navy to remain relevant even as the decision-makers believ Review of Uncorrected eBook ProofAs World War II ended， peace was a fragile commodity as the Communist threat grew and Joseph Stalin moved aggressively to occupy eastern European states and to establish Soviet-aligned governments。 An absorbing， introspective， and detailed look at the United States Navy during the cold war with the Soviet Union。 With air power rapidly becoming a primary focus for the military， there was a struggle for the Navy to remain relevant even as the decision-makers believed ships were obsolete。Filled with intriguing facts and often little-known information， the author expertly weaves the challenges faced by military and civilian leaders in an emerging superpower struggle defined by strategy， a rapidly-growing technology， and diplomacy that directly affected the Navy during the cold war。 The battlefields were many 。 。 。 political， inter-service， technological， strategic 。 。 。 yet as the author details the challenges facing the United States Navy in the aftermath of World War II， readers will find the book eminently readable and informative。 Highly recommended。I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine， Bantam and NetGalley#WhoCanHoldtheSea #NetGalley 。。。more
Jo Anne
，
Although I served in the military during the Vietnam war， I certainly don't consider myself to be someone who reads many books focused on the military， although I have a particular interest in the Pacific theater during WWII。I was fascinated by Mr。 Hornfisher's book because it addressed the Cold War period following WWII at a level of detail， both politically and militarily， that， at least for me， far exceeds anything that I have read。The infighting between service branches that he provides rema Although I served in the military during the Vietnam war， I certainly don't consider myself to be someone who reads many books focused on the military， although I have a particular interest in the Pacific theater during WWII。I was fascinated by Mr。 Hornfisher's book because it addressed the Cold War period following WWII at a level of detail， both politically and militarily， that， at least for me， far exceeds anything that I have read。The infighting between service branches that he provides remarkable insights into was set out in a way that allowed the reader to understand and identify the winners and losers and their tactics and strategies。 The decisions made over that 20-30 year period but especially in the 1940s - 1950's， were crucial for our country and for the world and as the book chronicles， most of those decisions were made appropriately and even wisely， thanks in large part to the extraordinary leaders of that time in both the civilian and military spheres。The book is not a long read but it is a true learning experience。 A must read！ 。。。more
CASPER HILEMAN
，
Mr。 Hornfischer applies his historical chops to a new and just as fascinating topic。 The cold war duel between the United States Navy and her Soviet adversaries。 Either on deterrence patrols， circumnavigating the globe underwater， or tapping underwater cables Mr。 Hornfischer educates us about the very tense very real warriors who helped prevent Soviet domination and the crushing of the free world。 I only wish Mr。 Hornfischer was still with us to produce great new material as well as to find grea Mr。 Hornfischer applies his historical chops to a new and just as fascinating topic。 The cold war duel between the United States Navy and her Soviet adversaries。 Either on deterrence patrols， circumnavigating the globe underwater， or tapping underwater cables Mr。 Hornfischer educates us about the very tense very real warriors who helped prevent Soviet domination and the crushing of the free world。 I only wish Mr。 Hornfischer was still with us to produce great new material as well as to find great new literary talent as an agent。 。。。more
CoffeeBreakBooks
，
Who Can Hold the Sea is an educational， powerful， and intense read， with a behind-the-scenes look at the early years of the Cold War and the ensuing naval developments。 The book is well written and informative， in an easy-to-read and enjoyable format。 Author James Hornfischer skillfully sets the stage for the emerging struggle between two superpowers， even before the defeat of the Nazis in WWII。 However， he focuses on telling the story from a wider perspective than just the United States and the Who Can Hold the Sea is an educational， powerful， and intense read， with a behind-the-scenes look at the early years of the Cold War and the ensuing naval developments。 The book is well written and informative， in an easy-to-read and enjoyable format。 Author James Hornfischer skillfully sets the stage for the emerging struggle between two superpowers， even before the defeat of the Nazis in WWII。 However， he focuses on telling the story from a wider perspective than just the United States and the Soviet Union。Research is expertly woven into the story—as the reader comes to understand the challenges faced by both the military and civilian leadership， the resulting policies， and the impacts on manpower， hardware， and tactics。 The author also provides intriguing information on many of the key players， such as President Truman， President Eisenhower， George Kennan， Admiral Chester Nimitz， Defense Secretary James Forrestal， Joseph Stalin， and others。As one who appreciates history and had family members serving during WWII， I have found James Hornfischer's books to be among the best I have read regarding the war。 I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher， through NetGalley。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
William Harris
，