Customer Reviews

Battleship Oklahoma BB-37

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I too wanted a book dealing with the older US Battleships other than the USS Arizona. I happened to see this book at my local bookstore and bought it hoping to get more information about the pre-WW2 Battleships. I was surprised at how this book immediately grabbed my attention.
The first portion of the book deals with the design, building, and early sea trials of the Oklahoma. Though at times the author seems to rush the story, he traces the story chronologically. His ultimate aim of the book deals with what made the Oklahoma famous: her capsizing at Pearl Harbor. But before that fateful day in Dec 7, there was so much more that I didn't know about her. Example: The Oklahoma's presence during an earthquake in San Pedro, Ca and how the crew helped the police to prevent looting.
The attack of Pearl Harbor is the main focus of the author and covers roughly 2/3 of the book. The story is told through the lives of those who were there on board. The author fills you in with the details of the sailors who survived the attack, and mentions those who perished that day. He even fills you in with the events that made a couple of sailors on board Oklahoma the recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor (posthumously). As I read the book, the author gives you in the appendix the fate of the crew on board during Dec 7. Whenever the author mentioned names I turned the pages so I can see if they survived or not. Those who did not survive, the author lists them as MIA because most who perished were not identified. This is how well written this book is: it drew me into the lives of these sailors.
I highly recommend this book. It is unfortunate that we remember the Oklahoma for her death at Pearl. This book allows her to once more live; we should never forget about her and her gallant crew.

"Battleship Oklahoma BB-37"
by Jeff Phister, with Thomas Hone and Paul Goodyear.
University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 2008.

This is another excellent history book from the University of Oklahoma Press. In this book, Jeff Phister records the origins of the battleship competition, technology developments and battleships and the influence of international treaties on capital ship designs. The author devotes some few pages to the fuel (oil) used by the Oklahoma, which limited the ship's usefulness in European waters during World War I. After dealing with the small role that the USS Oklahoma played in the First World War, Jeff Phister then begins the history of the ship. She was christened on March 23 1914 at the Camden, New Jersey, shipyard. Her launching was witnessed by the Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels. This gives the author a lead-in to discuss education in the Navy and the sailor's life on the Oklahoma.

Secretary Daniels introduced Class `A', Class `B' and Class 'C' schools to the enlisted personnel of the United States Navy. Until I read this book, I never knew that it was Secretary Daniels who had originated the classification system for schools in the Navy. In 1958, I attended Aviation Electronics Class `A' School in Naval Air Technical Training Center, Memphis, Tennessee. This 39 weeks school affected my whole life, as, after being honorably discharged, I went for my Bachelor's in electrical Engineering at Manhattan College, Bronx, New York. After discussing the need for educating sailors, the author then addresses life on a battleship, food for the crew and athletics. Athletic competition among the various fleet units was another idea which originated with the Secretary of the Navy.

A few chapters deal with the Oklahoma's missions between the wars, with a well written chapter being entitled, "Earthquakes, Refugees, and War". But, most of the book, from page 48 to the index on page 249, is concerned with the Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor, the December 7th sneak attack and the subsequent sinking of the ship. Those chapters are most poignant in the book. I was particularly interested in the story of Fr. Aloysius H. Schmitt, who was the first American chaplain killed in World War II. Lieutenant (jg) Schmitt knowingly gave up his place in an escape route so that smaller sailors could get out of the capsizing ship. The Naval Chaplain was awarded the Navy And Marine Corps Medal and his award citation can be found on pages 177-178. Fr. Schmitt was a 1931 graduate of Loras College, Iowa, where Christ The King Chapel was dedicated to the chaplain's memory.

The author has included a listing of all the Oklahoma's crew,showing where the individual eventually served. Sadly, there are more than 400 listings for individuals who were killed and whose remains were never identified, after the ship was salvaged. The saddest part of the book is the ending. The USS Oklahoma was decommissioned and the hulk sold for scrap. The emasculated ship was being towed across the Pacific when the tow line snapped, and the ship rebelled and sank before the indignity of being turned into scrap metal.

All in all, this is a total history of a storied ship, with excellent writing and a complete reference section for the interested reader. Well done!

We bought this book because we both love history, and had never known much about the USS Oklahoma. This captured our interest, shared poignant stories, and filled us with a greater understanding of the impact of that fateful day in 1941. Thank-you!

This is a comprehensive history of the Oklahoma BB-37 from its christening in 1914 through World War I, the great cruise of 1925 the evacuation in 1936 of political refugees from Spain, through the events of December 7, 1941 to the final sinking in 1947.

There is technical information galore, enough to make you think you served aboard her, and sufficient number of the personal narratives of the survivors to make you feel comfortable aboard her. The many photographs, both Japanese and American, remind us of the horror of that day in December.

Reading this book around December 7th 2008, I am reminded of the few remaining veterans who were there and still here.

Like all University of Oklahoma books, there is an obvious pride in the product. If Grandpa was on board the Oklahoma, keep his memory. Put the book on your coffee table where you can brag about the old Oklahoma and the generation of fine men who were on board.

Richard N. Larsen
Senior Reviewer

I found this book rather disappointing. Although technical details of "modern" US battleships are readily available, similar information regarding the "old" battleships is not. I purchased this book hoping that it would contain more technical information than it does, most of the book deals with the experience of her survivors during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent rescue operations. In my opinion, this is primarily a "people" book rather than a "ship" book.

I purchased this book to provide details to help with creating a veterans honor display. The book more than met my expectations and was an interesting read.

Jeff Phister and his team have done a fine job of recounting the history of the Battleship Oklahoma. This book is a wonderful tribute to our brave and honorable navy who has served this country so well. My hat is off to all those past and present that served and participated in preserving the history of the Oklahoma. A must read for the youth of our great country!

Info about the ship was good. Enough technical ,no doubt, but i wanted more pics with it. Still, overall this is a great read.

Umfassende verbale Darstellung auch der Entstehung und des Umfeldes dieses Schlachtschiffes. Leider sind nur wenige Pläne und Zeichnungen enthalten. Dieses Buch ist für Modellbauzwecke wenig geeignet.