An American Battleship at Peace and War: The U.S.S. Tennessee (Modern War Studies) [Hardcover]

Jonathan G. Utley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1991 | Series: Modern War Studies

The U.S.S. Tennessee was no ordinary ship. When she set sail in 1921 she was the most powerful ship in the world. Massive steel armor more than a foot thick and a dozen 14-inch guns made her a match for anything afloat. More than 10,000 men served aboard her during the two peaceful decades that followed.

When Tennessee went to war in 1941, she was already obsolete. Yet she survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and saw action in battles that became legendary: Tarawa, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Saipan, Surigao Strait, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. She was one of only two World War II-era battleships to earn a Naval Unit Citation.

In telling the story of Tennessee, Jonathan Utley looks beyond events aboard ship. Whether he's writing about gunnery and engineering competitions, the impact of aviation, sports, or even venereal disease, Utley views shipboard life against a panoramic historical backdrop. Tennessee's story reveals much about the navy, the nation, and the world during the years between the two world wars--the Golden Age of the battleship.

This book is part of the Modern War Studies series.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Commissioned in 1921, too late for World War I, the battleship Tennessee' s massive steel armor and 14 guns made it the most formidable warship afloat. By World War II the ship was obsolete. Damaged at Pearl Harbor, the Tennessee was rebuilt and modernized in time to earn a remarkable combat record; including a Presidential Unit Citation and ten battle stars for services in Alaska, the Central and South Pacific areas, Leyte, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. At Surigao Straits, in October 1944, the Tennessee and seven elderly colleagues destroyed a Japanese fleet in what proved to be the world's last battleship action. Utley has given us a history of the ship, the era in which it served, and the story of the 10,000 sailors who sailed on the ship in war and peace. The author's highly readable text, his vast knowledge of the subject, and the lavish use of illustrations make this a unique work. There are many ship histories, but this should serve as a model of its kind for future naval historians. It is an essential acquisition for all naval and World War II collections.
- Stanley Itkin, Hillsdale P . L . , New Hyde Park, N . Y .
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Jonathan G. Utley, associate professor of history at the University of Tennessee, is the author of Going to War with Japan, 1937-1941.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Kansas (July 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0700604928
• ISBN-13: 978-0700604920
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,810,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.