The epic story of the American battleships that turned the US Navy
into a global power, and were made famous in the cruise of the
"Great White Fleet."
The last predreadnought battleships of the US Navy were critical to the
technological development of US battleships, and they were the first
tool of international hard power wielded by the United States, a nation
which would eventually become the world's dominant political and
military power of the 20th century. These battleships were the stars of
the 1907**-**09 Great White Fleet circumnavigation, in which the
emerging power and reach of the US Navy was displayed around the world.
They also took part in the bombardment and landings at Veracruz, some
served as convoy escorts in World War I, and the last two were
transferred to the Hellenic Navy and were sunk during World War II.
This book examines the design, history, and technical qualities of the
final six classes of US predreadnought battleships, all of which were
involved in the circumnavigation of the Great White Fleet. These classes
progressively closed the quality gap with European navies--the
Connecticuts were the finest predreadnought battleships ever built--and
this book also compares and contrasts US predreadnought battleships to
their foreign contemporaries. Packed with illustrations and specially
commissioned artwork, this is an essential guide to the development of
US Navy Battleships at the turn of the twentieth century.