U.S. Cruisers
Subtitle: An Illustrated Design History
By: by Norman Friedman ; ship plans by A.D. Baker III, and Alan Raven.
Edition: First Edition
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Published: October 1, 1984
Place of publication: Annapolis, Md
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 496
Subjects: Cruisers (Warships) -- United States -- History; Battle cruisers -- United States -- History
Other titles: United States Cruisers
Description: Like other books in Norman Friedman's design-history series, this one pays attention to all designs, even those that never left the drawing board, since every proposal made is a link in the evolution of the cruiser force. Friedman, a recognized authority on U.S. warships, uncovers the reasoning behind the many radical changes in U.S. cruiser design, which culminated in the series of Aegis missile ships. He deals both with evolving technology and with those changes in the doctrine and role of the U.S. Navy that clearly affected cruiser design,

Because the nature of the cruiser is somewhat ill defined, his book discusses a wide variety of ships, from the battleship-like armored cruisers of the turn of the century the battle cruisers of 1916 to scout cruisers and the Atlantas, ships that were, in many ways, enlarged destroyers. It covers the emergence of "peace cruisers," which were essentially large gunboats, and the post-1945 command and missile cruisers. The World War II Alaska-class large cruisers are also included.

Friedman shows how the path from the first steel cruisers to the ultramodern Ticonderogas defines many of the themes of U.S. naval development: the transition from a coastal defense/commerce raiding navy to a navy designed to seize and exploit command of the world's oceans, and from a navy of independent cruisers on foreign stations to a battle fleet navy and then a carrier navy.

Arms control is another important theme of this book. Friedman explains how cruiser design, much more that the design of any other category of ship, has been affected by the constraints of naval arms limitation treaties. He uses the Erie-class gunboat, a "slow cruiser," and the original Cleveland, an abortive design that stayed within the 8,000-ton limit prescribed by the London Treaty of 1936, as examples of attempts to exploit treaty restrictions.

Also carefully examined are the many post-World War II cruiser projects, both those that were built, like the nuclear powered Long Beach, and those that were not, like the specialized command ship of 1968. In every case, the author discusses not merely what was tried, but why it succeeded or failed.

A.D. Baker III and Alan Raven have drawn detailed scale outboard and plan views of each cruiser class and of major modifications to many classes. The author has provided inboard profiles and sketches of abortive projects. Numerous photographs complement the text. Appendices include ship characteristics and data on ship careers.

U.S. Cruisers is essential reading for those concerned with the future of the U.S. Navy. Naval historians and architects alike will find this the most comprehensive reference available on the subject.
Notes: Bibliography: p. [489]-492.
"Authorized for sale only in the United States, its territories and possessions, and Canada"--T.p. verso.
Includes index.
Table of contents: title: Acknowledgements; title: Key to Line Drawings; title: Introduction; title: The New Navy, 1883-98
label: 1; title: The Postwar Cruiser Navy
label: 2; title: The General Board's Scouts, 1903-21
label: 3; title: The Treaty and the "Tinclads"
label: 4; title: Second Generation Treaty Cruisers
label: 5; title: The London Treaty of 1930: Admiral Pratt's Navy
label: 6; title: The Brooklyn Class
label: 7; title: The Second London Treaty
label: 8; title: The War Programs
label: 9; title: The Post-Treaty Generation
label: 10; title: Cruisers at War, 1941-45
label: 11; title: Wartime Cruiser Designs
label: 12; title: Into The Missile Age
label: 13; title: The Command Cruisers
label: 14; title: Appendices; title: Cruiser Designations
label: A; title: Names and Dates List
label: B; title: Cruiser Characteristics
label: C; title: Notes on Sources; title: Index