Inside the US Navy of 1812–1815: (Johns Hopkins Books on the War of 1812)

What did it take—logistically and operationally—for the small and underfunded US Navy to face the battle-hardened Royal Navy in the War of 1812? Find out in this book, the magnum opus of one of the deans of American naval history. When the War of 1812 broke out, the newly formed and cash-strapped United States faced Great Britain, the world's foremost sea power, with a navy that had largely fallen into disrepair and neglect. In this riveting book, William S. Dudley presents the most complete history of the inner workings of the US Navy Department during the conflict, which lasted until 1815. What did it take, he asks, for the US Navy to build, fit-out, man, provision, and send fighting ships to sea for extended periods of time during the War of 1812? When the British blockade of 1813–14 severely constrained American sea trade, reducing the government's income and closing down access to American seaports, the navy was forced to innovate: to make improvements through reforms, to redeploy personnel, and to strengthen its industrial capacity. Highlighting matters of supply, construction, recruitment, discipline, medical care, shipbuilding, and innovation, Dudley helps readers understand the navy's successes and failures in the war and beyond. He also presents the logistics of the war in relation to fleet actions on the lakes and selected ship actions on the oceans, stresses the importance of administration in warfighting, and shows how reforms and innovations in those areas led to a stronger, more efficient navy. Refuting the idea that the United States "won" the war, Dudley argues that the conflict was at best a stalemate. Drawing on twenty-five years of archival research around the world, Inside the US Navy of 1812–1815 will leave readers with a better appreciation of how the navy contributed strategic value to the nation's survival in the conflict and assisted in bringing the war to an honorable end. This book will appeal to scholars and students of naval and military history, veterans, current officers, and maritime-oriented history buffs.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures, Maps, and Tables Preface Acknowledgments Chapter One. The Resources for Naval War Chapter Two. Paul Hamilton's Ordeal: The Onset of War, 1809–1812 Chapter Three. William Jones's Challenge: A Two-Front Naval War Chapter Four. From Lake Erie to Lake Huron Chapter Five. Sailors, Privateers, and Munitions Chapter Six. The British Blockade of 1813–1814 Chapter Seven. Managing the Navy Department Chapter Eight. Naval Innovation and Inventions Chapter Nine. Chauncey's War on Lake Ontario Chapter Ten. Macdonough's War on Lake Champlain Chapter Eleven. In Defense of the Chesapeake Bay Chapter Twelve. Hostilities in the Seaboard South Chapter Thirteen. Sailors' Life and Work Chapter Fourteen. War Finance and the Blockade Chapter Fifteen. Renewal of the US Navy Notes Index

About the Author :
Historian William S. Dudley was the director of the Naval Historical Center from 1995 to 2004. The original editor of The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History, he is the author of Maritime Maryland: A History and the coauthor of The Naval War of 1812: America's Second War of Independence.

Review :
Inside the US Navy of 1812-1815 serves a vital function, illuminating an aspect of the war that is often glossed over in other studies. Dudley makes a compelling and engaging argument for the importance of administration and logistics, which, in turn, makes this book an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the second war between the United States and Great Britain. —Cindy Vallar, Pirates and Privateers: The History of Martime Piracy Inside the US Navy of 1812–1815 is an excellent resource. In addition, this book is essential reading for understanding this chapter in the U.S. Navy's evolution from the Continental Navy of the 18th century to the global power of the 21st century. — William J. Prom, U.S Naval Institute William S. Dudley has focused his career on the early history of the American Navy. His latest book, Inside the US Navy 1812-1815, is the product of ten years of effort, resulting in an essential volume. —Laurence Kerr, Sea History In this critical new assessment, William Dudley, Director of the US Naval Historical Centre between 1995 and 2004 and founding editor of the essential The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History, addresses the maritime dimension of a conflict that has long been at the centre of American naval identity, as visitors to the Naval Academy at Annapolis will have observed. —Andrew Lambert, King's College London, Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord Inside the U.S. Navy will stand for many years as the authoritative source on the war at sea and on inland rivers and lakes. Military, maritime, and naval historians as well as historians of technology and the Early Republic will find this an indispensable reference work. —Jason W. Smith, Southern Connecticut University, Nautical Research Journal