Författarbild

Om författaren

Quintin Barry is a solicitor and a retired Employment Judge. He has also held a variety of offices in both the public and private sector, including the NHS and local radio. He is presently Chief Executive of an international group of law firms. Following a lifelong interest in history naval visa mer history, he is the author of a number of books on military and naval history. These include an acclaimed two-volume history of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, a history of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, and the first modern history of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. He has made a particular study of the life and career of Helmuth von Moltke. He has also written a biography of the 17th Earl of Derby, which was published in 2012. His most recent books are: The War in the North Sea 1914-1918and Far Distant Ships, a study of the blockade of Brest during the Napoleonic Wars. visa färre

Verk av Quintin Barry

Taggad

Allmänna fakta

Kön
male
Land (för karta)
United Kingdom

Medlemmar

Recensioner

Though the title refers to the final portion of this tome, Disputed Victory: Schley, Sampson And The Spanish-American War of 1898 presents an excellent overview of the Spanish American War with particular emphasis its naval aspects.

The book begins with an explanation of the evolution of the U. S. Navy its ships from the downsizing that followed the Civil War through the balance of the 19th Century. During this era armaments improved, naval theory advanced and naval vessels of the world transitioned from wood and sail to metal and steam. For the United States, insulated by oceans and pre-occupied by a contiguous, continental empire, the pressures for modernization were weaker than they were in Europe. This enabled a tug-of-war between those seeking to make do with surviving relics and others striving to keep pace with European navies that might or might not challenge our shores during any particular generation of vessels. Theories of the past were tested in a new Naval War College advocated by Alfred Thayer Mahan, the scholar of the influence of sea power on history.

After the background of the U. S. Navy as it approached the War, chapters introduce the main characters: Winfield Scott Schley, commander of the Flying Squadron that fought the Spanish fleet off Santiago de Cuba; William Thomas Sampson, Commander of the North Atlantic Squadron, of which the Flying Squadron was a segment; Commander of the Asiatic Squadron and hero of Manilla Bay, George Dewey; Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy who put many of the pieces into place until he left to organize the Rough Riders and go to Cuba with an Army command. Although viewed from the American vantage point, the Spanish naval commander Pascal Cervera, plays a more significant and personal role than I have seen in most other works.

With the forces and personnel having been described, the narrative then explores the issues between the United States and Spain that led to the conflict and American preparations as war became increasingly likely and compares the two navies. Attention is next turned to the actual battles.

America’s first victory came from an unexpected theatre, public was watching Admiral Dewey’s May 1, 1898 destruction of the Spanish Fleet in the Battle of Manilla Bay. Though described as “a military execution rather than a real contest”, it set up the American occupation of the Philippines that would last for almost fifty years and be a major influence in World War II.

Like the action, the text turns to the main theatre, the Caribbean. Many histories of the Spanish-American War relate the battle off Santiago de Cuba on July 3, 1898 but this one begins the saga weeks before. In an era before satellite surveillance or even marine radio, Cervera’s departure from Spain placed a strain on the navy that was charged with protection of the whole eastern seaboard. Offensive operations began with a blockade of Havana followed by an abortive May 12 attack on San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was not until Cervera’s fleet was located within Santiago Harbor that all American ships congregated off shore.

The American attempted probes of the harbor and coordinated with Army units ashore and drafted its battle plans for when Cervera sailed. Under pressures from Madrid, Cervera’s exited the harbor at 9:30 a.m. on July 3 in a Quixotic confrontation that resulted in complete destruction of the Spanish fleet. Destroyers Furor and Pluton were out of action within four miles of port, armored cruisers Infanta Maria Teresa, Oquendo and Vizcaya were forced ashore, burned and blown up withing twenty miles of Santiago and Cristobal Colon completed the capitulation by surrendering fifty miles west of its emergence. Spanish casualties were reported as 323 killed, 151 severely wounded. Through all this, all American ships remained in action, though suffering some hits, with minimal casualties.

The title of the book derives from the post-battle squabble over credit and blame. Sampson critical report of his subordinate, Schley ignited a debate among newspapers, congressmen and commentators, most prominently Albert Thayer Mahan, over the relative heroism and cowardice, competency and ineptness and triumph and tragedy of the two commanders. A Board of Inquiry appointed by Navy Secretary John D. Long, investigated and reported on the matter. No spoilers here, so let us just say that the controversy made for a messy epilogue to a spectacular victory.

Author Quintin Barry has crafted a general account the Spanish-American war and a one detailed of its naval aspects and the Battle of Santiago. Relying on a vast array of sources including the transcript from the board hearing he has documented many facts of which I, at least, was previously been aware. I now have a much better appreciation of the navies’ role in the Spanish-American War than I did before. The footnotes provide citations but little additional information and the bibliography serves as a valuable guide to further reading. The clever division of the index into four indices, ones for people, places, ships and general terms aids the reader to locate desired information, more expeditiously than would a more usual solitary index. The photos of individuals and ships, including action shots, aid the mind’s eye in creating scenes while the maps place the combat in geographic context. I recommend Disputed Victory for those seeking a deeper understanding of the U. S. Navy’s role during the Spanish-American War.

I did receive a free copy of this book without an obligation to post a review.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
JmGallen | Feb 13, 2022 |

Du skulle kanske också gilla

Statistik

Verk
17
Medlemmar
206
Popularitet
#107,332
Betyg
3.9
Recensioner
1
ISBN
32

Tabeller & diagram