The Naval Aristocracy [Paperback]

Peter M. Karsten (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2002

When this book first appeared in 1972, Karsten, a former naval officer, was taken to task for its portrayal of the Naval Academy and the officer corps. Although his conclusions riled more than a few senior officers, no one denied the significance of the study, and it was named Best Book of the Year by Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honorary society. The work focuses on the period after the Civil War when the United States emerged as a power to be reckoned with and its navy developed into a professional fighting force. This revelatory portrait of the officer corps in the late 19th and early 20th centuries has remained an important reference work for more than thirty-five years. This new edition includes a new preface and foreword.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter Karsten is a professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh and the author of many books, including the three-volume Encyclopedia on War and American Society. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (June 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743244737
• ISBN-13: 978-0743244732
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,914,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Naval Aristocracy, December 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Naval Aristocracy: The Golden Age of Annapolis and the Emergence of Modern American Navalism (Hardcover)

I recently developed an interest in getting an understanding of US Naval history. Karsten's book was recommended by my daughter's college history professor for a first read and I was not disappointed. Karsten covers a good deal of the makeup of the officer corps from pre-civil war through the formation of the modern navy in 1882 and into the turn-of-the-century. In context it was appropriate but I was disappointed in his fast brush through of history from the turn-of-the-century through the Nixon years in the last chapter (!). Also, while it was in keeping with Karsten's analysis in the preceeding chapters, his concluding remarks were still surprisingly direct against giving the Navy (or other branches of the armed service) free reign in appropriations. His point was well put that the political branch of our government and its citizenry has a duty to question in detail what the militarists are asking for rather than following after their (understandible) hyperbole. Overall, a good book!