Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet

Drawing on previously untapped sources naval historian James Reckner provides a complete picture of the fleet that thrust the United States into the ranks of great world naval powers. His fresh interpretations of the fleets historic 1907-09 world cruise which won him the 1989 Roosevelt Naval History Prize allow todays readers to fully appreciate the significance of the famous fleet that set sail during Teddy Roosevelts second term as president. Reckner recreates the colorful pageantry of the event--sixteen U.S. battleships on a fourteen-month voyage around the world--that drew thousands of sightseers at every port of call but his main emphasis is on the cruises long-range impact on the Navy. He shows how the cruise revealed the fleets shortcomings and forced the naval establishment to acknowledge the faults and make concessions that eventually led to permanent benefits.