Who Can Hold the Sea

“James D. Hornfischer, the dean of American naval historians, has written a book of dizzying sweep and uncommon ambition. In this meticulously researched work, we see just how resolute and resourceful the United States Navy was in facing the hydra-headed threats of the Cold War.”—Hampton Sides, author of Ghost Soldiers “Who Can Hold the Sea is the final masterpiece of the late, great, James D. Hornfischer, the finest naval historian of his time. A lucid, brilliant and very timely history of the U.S. Navy in the Cold War, this is the capstone to a truly heroic and dazzling career.”—Alex Kershaw, author of The Liberator “This is a superb valedictory offering by one of the great storytellers of our time. In vivid and evocative prose, James D. Hornfischer offers a fully contextualized narrative of a defining era in world history. His sketches of the leading players bring them fully to life, and his coverage of the war in Korea is edge-of-your-seat gripping.”—Craig L. Symonds, author of World War II at Sea “In his final volume, James D. Hornfischer brilliantly re-creates the panoramic story of the U.S. Navy in the first fourteen years after the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. In his master hands, the whole range of novel military and political events, the epochal technological breakthroughs of nuclear power and ballistic missiles, and a long roster of important other stories fall in smoothly.”—Richard B. Frank, author of Tower of Skulls “Who Can Hold the Sea is a perfect follow-on to James D. Hornfischer’s four superb standard-setting books on the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II. It is well researched, superbly written, and insightful. The United States’ history is that of a maritime nation, and Hornfischer’s legacy is to have superbly told that story from the deckplate.”—General Mike Hagee, USMC (Ret), CEO, Admiral Nimitz Foundation “This excellent naval history elucidates how the atomic bomb and nuclear power shaped the geopolitical rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union . . . Hornfischer unearths fascinating anecdotes . . . . [and] enlivens the proceedings with sharp analysis and lucid prose. This impressively researched and thoroughly accessible account fires on all cylinders.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “With half a dozen accounts of the U.S. Navy under his belt, award-winning naval historian Hornfischer does not disappoint with his latest. . . . Hornfischer offers adept accounts of atomic tests and the Navy’s creation of a nuclear strike force. Readers will enjoy the history of the atomic submarine . . . An expert account for fans of military history.”—Kirkus Reviews