REVIEWS
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THE OLDEST HOUSE MUSEUM Oldest House in South Florida tells of Key West wrecking history. 322 Dm~al St. Key West FL 33040
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MARITIME BOOKS FREE CATALOG
W. WIEGAND & CO. BOX 563 , GLASTONBURY, CT 06033
Historic , antique U .S. , · Coast Survey maps ~ from the 1800s ;· Original lithographs, most American seaports and shores. Reprints, too. Unique framed ,
great gifts. Catalog, $1.00. Specify area.
Nautical Decor &Antiques SEAFARER, LTD. Route 9, Oceanville NJ 08231. Visit our 3,000 sq.ft. store. 609-652-9491
PC Patrol Craft of World War II A History of the Ships and Their Crews Wm. J . Veigele, PhD, USNR, Ret. Includes a list of every PC, how they were bui lt, details x . : . _ of their design, 150 photos ·" ',,;;;;~ and drawings, 33 tables on · design, construction,battles, losses. Read about their exploits and what happened to them after the war. Hard cover, 400 pages. Send $39.95 + $4.75 s/h. (Add $ 1.75 for each add ' ! book to same address.) CA orders add $3.10 tax. Astral Publishi ng Co., Dept H, PO Box 3955 , Santa Barbara CA 93 130-3955
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The American Neptune Enjoy the leading scholarly journ al of maritime history and arts in the US. The American Neptune, a quarterly publ ication of the Peabody Essex Museum, is a great read for collectors, model makers, and all who love ships and the sea. We offer Sea History readers an opportunity to subscribe to The American Neptune fo r $33, a $6 savings over our regul ar subscri ption rate ($36 for non-US residents. Institutions: call fo r rates). To start your subscripti on, send a check or money order to:
Alaska and t h e US R evenue C utter Service 1867-191 5, byTrumanR. Strobridge and Dennis L. Noble (Naval Institute Press,
The American Neptune
Peabody Essex Museum East Ind ia Square Salem, MA 01970 (508) 745- 1876
You may charge your subscri ption by fax at (508) 744-6776, or e-mail dori_philli ps@ pem.org. We accept VISA, MasterCard and American Express.
The Visolette Loupe is a un ique combination of condenser and 2.7X magnifier. Its ability to bundle ambient light makes the reading within the glass easier. This 65mm (2 .5") diameter lens is precision grou nd and polished, mounted in a solid brass ring with anti-slip bottom and enclosed in a solid walnut case. It makes a stunning addition to any chart table or desk and a beautifu l and useful gift for any flat piece collector. S69.00 plus S3.00 shipping per order.
WESTCHESTER TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 8 John Walsh Blvd.
Visit our website at www.pem.org/neptune
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is much more than another submarine story. The book is written as a loose autobiography and as a com panion piece to his United States Navy, 200 Years. It starts with Beach's upbringing as the so n of a distinguished battleship commander, his life at Annapolis and then his various duty posts as he worked his way up the promotional ladder and into nuclear submarines. Along the way he covers in some detail an interesting collection of naval happenings unknown to most of us. His description of and comments on events in the Pacific starting with the aborted relief of Wake Island and ending with the loss of Ho uston and almost all the other ships in the combined Allied command are most interesting. His take on Admiral Chester Nimitz and his management of the Pacific war at sea are fascinating as an educated commentary of those well-chronicled but not-so-well-commented-upon times. His chapter on the 1949 " revolt of the admirals" and th e role played by Admiral Arleigh Burke, then a captain on Pentagon duty, is a treasure in itself, with details of the events that are certainly new to me. All through the book Beach's incisive mind and judgment tempered b y h is long experience present new insights and ideas. It is a very readable and most personable chronicle of a distinguished career. TOWNSEND HORNOR Osterville, Massachusetts
Peel<Sl<ill, NY 10566 914-736-1034 • Fax: 914-736-1217
Annapolis MD, 1999, 185pp, illus, notes, inde x, biblio, ISB N 1-55 75 0-845-3 ; $32.95hc) This book offers highlights of the history of Alexander Hamilton's Revenue Cutter Service from 179 0 to the rwenrieth century. The reader travels to Alaska and its purchase from Russia in 1867, when the first patrol of the new territory was done by the Revenue Cutter Lincoln to Sitka and then westward to Unalaska setting the pattern for future patrols that wo uld last for almost a century. With little or no communication possible over a vast area of land and sea, the cutters were, for all practical purposes, the US government. They carried out law en forcement, provided trans-
Continued on page 46
SEA HISTORY 92, SPRING 2000