Naval Ceremonies, Customs, and Traditions, Sixth Edition [Hardcover]

Royal W. Connell (Author), William P. MacK (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1557503303 | ISBN-13: 978-1557503305 | Publication Date: August 1, 2004 | Edition: 6

First published in 1934, this book has enjoyed a reputation both as an authoritative guide to conduct in a contemporary maritime setting and a fascinating historical reference on the ways of the sea and sailor going back to the earliest days of sail. Now updated to cover all the sea services, this new edition fully reflects today's diverse force while at the same time exploring the maritime history of the United States, its flag, and the U.S. Navy's uniforms. A new chapter on naval ceremonies offers more details than ever on such events as award presentations and changes of command. A separate chapter on the popular "Dining In" ceremony explains its beginnings and evolution and tells how to plan and execute such an event. There is also greater coverage of Marine Corps and Coast Guard history and traditions. In addition to discussing the derivation of traditions and customs of the sea services, this latest update has been reorganized for ease of use by the professional seaman planning an upcoming event as well as the armchair sailor curious about the origins of naval customs and terms. It is the only up-to-date book on the subject available. 132 photographs. 6 x 9 inches.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a mine of information for the aspiring officer." -- Journal for Maritime Research, May 2004

"...this latest revision retains the easy readability that has made it so popular for the past seventy years." --Sea Classics, January 2005

About the Author

Royal W. Connell, a retired commander in the U.S. Navy and 1970 graduate of the Naval Academy, served as a mission commander in the E-2 Hawkeye. He currently teaches naval science at Annapolis High School, where he established the city's first NJROTC unit. William P. Mack, a retired vice admiral in the U.S. Navy and former commander of the Seventh Fleet, served with distinction in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Among his many writing achievements are three Naval Institute professional guides as well as Commodore Kilburnie. He died in 2003.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 403 pages
• Publisher: Naval Institute Press; 6 edition (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557503303
• ISBN-13: 978-1557503305
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #532,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Navy 101, January 21, 2001

By 

"frenum26" (Stationed in Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Naval Ceremonies, Customs, and Traditions (Hardcover)

This is an excellent source of knowledge with a wealth of information. If you want to know about the origins of Naval terms and how certain Naval traditions came about (ie..The Crossing of the Equator, Change of Command ceromonies) this book explains most of it. My only complaint is that it revolves around the officer community too much. I think it would have helped to add some more enlisted info too! So I highly reccomend this book! Fair Winds and Following Seas!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Navy custom explained, October 10, 2001

By 

S. Lawrenz "Lendorien" (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Naval Ceremonies, Customs, and Traditions (Hardcover)

A book that covered exactly what its title suggests, "Naval Ceremonies, Customs, and Traditions" is clearly intended as a manual of traditions and customs for naval officers. I don't doubt that it would come in useful. It's a true treasure trove of information concerning the United States Navy's unique culture.

The best part is the fact that it goes extensively into the backgrounds of many of the traditions and customs the Navy is steeped in. It is a scholarly book on history as much as it is about custom and tradition.

As a person not in the navy but with an interest in its history, this book was entertaining and informative. If you're interested in such things, "Naval Ceremonies, Customs, and Traditions" is definitely worth a look.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what the title suggests., April 29, 2010

By 

JT (Maryland) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Naval Ceremonies, Customs, and Traditions, Sixth Edition (Hardcover)

I bought this book in the hopes of picking up on some of the traditions and customs of the Navy that I may have missed. The book definitely covers a pretty good amount, but what I have found is that they almost completely ignore the enlisted community. This is a pretty big omission as far as I am concerned and is why I marked the score where I did. I bought this book thinking that it would cover "Naval" ceremonies, customs, and traditions not just "Officer" ceremonies, customs, and traditions.

In the end, I am disappointed in the purchase. I only recommend this book if you are possibly joining the Navy to become an officer or are an officer already. If you are looking for a book on all the ceremonies, customs, and traditions of the Navy, there are probably better sources out there than this book.