Learning War: The Evolution of Fighting Doctrine in the U.S. Navy, 1898–1945

As the United States started to project power around the world, its military started to change and adapt to the changing times. Sometimes quickly, other times slowly, and not everyone felt that they should. This book continues the story of how the U.S. Navy changed and started to become more and more like the modern Navy we know today. We start off in 1898 as America is fighting in the Spanish-American war and ends in 1945 at the end of World War II. Not surprisingly, most of the book takes place during World War II. The changes that were made to the Navy were led by young officers who argued for change, from the way promotions worked to how sailors learned the trade. Not everyone was in agreement and often times they had a hard time convincing Congress or the Secretary of the Navy for the needed changes, but thankfully they had several powerful allies in office during this time, including Teddy Roosevelt, and that helped bring reform to the front. The book flows smoothly, except for the chapter on gunnery; if that chapter was spread throughout the book instead of focused in one place it would have worked better.