War at Sea is a collection of 21 essays and articles on naval warfare from the American Revolution to the end of the Second World War. In this book are some of the most famous—and infamous—naval battles in history. The author, a contributor to more than two dozen national magazines, has assembled and expanded on some of his favorite articles that cover the age of fighting sail, the emergence of steam power, and the development of steel warships. Here you will find broadsides against wood, rifled guns against iron, the Royal Navy against the German Kriegsmarine, and submarines prowling the Atlantic and Pacific.

The desperate carrier battles of Coral Sea, Midway, and Leyte Gulf are vividly described in a narrative style that has made the author a popular writer all over the country.

Some of the greatest names in naval history, Admiral Horatio Nelson, commodore Stephen Decatur, Admiral Erich Raeder, and many others fill War at Sea in a way that not only educates but entertains any listener interested in the story of naval warfare.

From the Chesapeake Bay to Jutland, from the River Plate to Guadalcanal, from Hampton Roads to Leyte Gulf, here are the most compelling and memorable accounts of the days of sail and steam, of wood and iron, and of duels to the death on the waters.

While navies have changed since 1945, it is well worth knowing how it all came to be.