Tuesday Tidings is published by the National Maritime Historical Society with support from the US Naval Institute. Interested in joining USNI? Click on the USNI logo to become a member! | | | |
24 June 2025
Welcome back to our National Maritime Historical Society members and friends who share a love for naval history!
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The decision by the administration at the US Naval Academy to scratch one of the papers that had been selected for presentation at the forthcoming McMullen Naval History Symposium due to current DoD guidelines banning DEI content has stirred some ethical concerns amongst those who had their papers accepted. “To withdraw, or not to withdraw?” That is the question that many in the naval history community are dealing with.
For context, the naval history community has been blessed since the 1970s with a biennially endowed symposium that has been professionally organized by the US Naval Academy’s History Department. Not only is registration free, but there is a reception and free lunch! Attendees need only to cover their travel and hotel costs. Attendance at this two-day forum has steadily climbed, and with some sessions being streamed, participation is now global. The symposium has served as an outstanding networking opportunity for graduate students seeking publication and employment opportunities, and it provides academic exposure for midshipmen on lessons to be learned from history. Following each symposium, the Commodore Dudley Knox Medal for lifetime achievement in the profession is presented. The US Naval Institute now has stewardship for this honor. Registration for this year’s presentation can be found here.
Given that background, “Yes, absolutely!” has been the feedback from several academic peers who view attendance as condoning the censorship incursion on academic intellectual freedom. On the other hand, would a mass withdrawal in attendance act as a form of censorship on the new content that is anticipated for presentation? Given the angst being expressed in the community in grappling with this question, Tuesday Tidings would like to hear from our readers and publish some comments pro and con. In the meantime, the National Maritime Historical Society is tracking actions by the current administration that impact maritime heritage. You can view that here.
For those who do decide to withdraw from the symposium, there will be other opportunities to present. Though the Call for Papers has closed for the 12th Maritime Heritage Conference to be held the following week, the Buffalo Convention Center can accommodate an additional track of panels. You may inquire at mhc@seahistory.org. Also, the 92nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Military History is set for 26–29 March in Arlington, Virginia. The SMH call for papers is published below, as is the program for a naval history conference to be held in Ireland at the end of October.
For this week’s Naval History Book Review, we thank Jessica Strazzella for her review the employment of Isle of Man packet ships during World War II. Speaking of books, the book pile has grown in the past week, thanks to the arrival of recent Naval Institute Press and Schiffer titles! Speaking of books, this issue features a story on the renewed marketing of the Navy Reserve centennial book.
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Tuesday Tidings is compiled by Dr. David F. Winkler and Jessie Henderson as a benefit for members of the National Maritime Historical Society and friends of naval history.
As always, comments and naval history news items are welcome at nmhs@seahistory.org.
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ITEMS OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST | |
Friday, 27 June – Mariners’ Museum USS Monitor Legacy Program
Drewry’s Bluff Aftermath: Lt. William Jeffers Report
With John V. Quarstein, Director emeritus of the USS Monitor Center
Noon EDT (In Person/Zoom)
Wednesday, 9 July – Naval Order Monthly Heritage Talk
Henry Breault’s Life and Times" – The Submarine Services Early Medal of Honor Recepient
With Ryan C. Walker
8 PM EDT (ZOOM)
Thursday, 10 July – Battleship Wisconsin/Nauticus Author Talk
Profiles of Visionaries: USS Langley and the Dawn of US Naval Aviation
With David F. Winkler
Noon EDT (In Person)
Thursday, 10 July – NMHS First Thursday Seminar Series
Setting Sail with NMHS: Exploring the Maritime Heritage of Puget Sound with Robert Steelquist
7 PM (ZOOM)
Noon EDT (In Person)
Wednesday, 16 July – National Museum of the Pacific War Webinar
In Harm’s Way: The Sinking of USS Indianapolis
With Doug Stanton
1–2 PM CDT (In Person/Zoom)
Friday–Saturday, 8–9 August – National WWII Museum
80th Anniversary End of War Symposium
Featuring Craig Symonds, Richard Frank, and Jonathan Parshall
(In Person)
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Beyond the Anglosphere: maritime strategy and policy outside the English speaking world.
Conference at Maynooth University (Ireland): 30–31 October 2025
Tá súil agam go bhfuil sibh go léir go maith agus fáilte go Má Nuad
Translation from Irish (Gaeilge) to English: I hope that you are well and welcome to Maynooth.
This conference is the launch event for a research project designed to explore maritime strategy and policy “beyond the Anglosphere.” The project is the result of a collaboration between the Centre for Military History and Strategic Studies (CMHSS) at Maynooth University and the Escola de Guerra Naval (EGN) (Brazilian Naval War College).
The aim of the project, and of this conference, is to develop a deeper understanding of maritime strategy and policy by exploring theory and practice beyond the dominant narrative that is most commonly explored and expressed through the English language. We aim to share viewpoints and insights from multiple countries and regions “beyond the Anglosphere.,” addressing these within their own right rather than interpreting them through the lens provided by a traditional “Anglo-centric” approach. Through this project we will promote understanding of the true complexity of global theory and practice, grounded in non-English language debates and sources, and foster engagement with a topic that is richer and more complex than one might suspect from a mono-lingual perspective.
The conference is organized into a series of panels, arranged thematically, to explore the theory and practice of maritime strategy, both past and present, in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. It brings together speakers from a wider range of different countries, with different backgrounds, to address a very broad range of topics all connected by the idea of exploring aspects of this field that are commonly ignored by anglophone commentaries. It is hoped that the event will spark discussion and debate and, in doing so, enrich our understanding of the different ways in which maritime strategy and security are understood and how they are catered for in different contexts.
The working language for this event will be English, to support our aim of engaging the widest possible audience and introducing those within the Anglosphere to the work of those from without.
Attendance is open to those with an interest in the field and there is no charge. However there are a limited number of spaces. Places can be booked online via Eventbrite.
Maynooth University is situated adjacent to a 12th-century castle in historic Maynooth Town, 25 km from Dublin City Centre and 33 km from Dublin Airport. It is easily accessible by road and rail, with good public transport links to the city and the airport.
For further information please contact Professor Ian Speller at Anglosphere2025@gmail.com.
| | Navy League Reboots Navy Reserve Book Sale | |
| |  | On the tenth anniversary of the celebration of the Navy Reserve’s centennial, the Navy League has taken on the task of marketing the sale of unsold books that were published at the time of the centennial. That several thousand books did not get purchased a decade ago was the result of a hard lesson learned at the time. The genesis of the project came with the realization that no book had ever been written on the history of the Navy Reserve and that Naval History and Heritage Command was not resourced to perform this task. Consequently, an ad hoc Navy Reserve Centennial Book Committee, led by recently retired Chief of Navy Reserve Vice Adm. Dirk Debbink teamed with the Naval Historical Foundation. Dr. David F. Winkler provided much of the content and Master Chief Jim Leuci offered much of the illustrations and artifacts that were featured. With the vision of copies of the book being snapped up at Navy Exchanges across the country, the committee ordered a substantial print run, given that larger volume lowers per unit cost. Unfortunately, when approaching the Navy Exchange command, it was learned they only purchase books through distributors, and distributors declined to negotiate an order from a publisher who only published one book! So here we are—a decade later! If you have served in the Navy Reserve or have a relative or friend who is currently or had served in the Navy Reserve THIS IS YOUR SECOND-CHANCE OPPORTUNITY!
| | NAVAL HISTORY BOOK REVIEWS | | |
Isle of Man Steam Packet in the Second World War By Matthew Richardson, Pen and Sword, (2025)
Reviewed by Jessica Strazzella
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In The Isle of Man Steam Packet in the Second World War, by Matthew Richardson, the unique role of the merchant navy during World War II takes center stage. The author sheds light on the oft-overlooked contribution of these sailors, who bravely ventured into danger zones when Royal Navy warships deemed it too risky. The book also dispels myths surrounding the small-ship evacuation of Dunkirk, providing a fresh perspective on this historical event.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company was a transportation company used to transport visitors and goods to the Isle of Man. When the war began, the company had been commandeered by the Royal Navy; its ships were left in their custody but still used for military service. The author starts the book by discussing the transport of troops from the United Kingdom to France. He uses firsthand accounts from soldiers about the stressful waiting for the convoy to form up and move across the Channel out of fear of submarines and German planes. When the ships were transferred to the Admiralty, they had the HMS added to their name.
Ships like Mona’s Isle participated in the evacuation of British soldiers from Dunkirk on the French Coast. The author uses this chapter to describe the loss the company felt during the war when Fenella sank by the Mole while loading soldiers. Some unfortunate souls ended up on a second ship, the Crested Eagle, which was also sunk while in the harbor. In this chapter, Richardson notes that later in the evacuation, the Royal Navy ships were ordered out of the area due to safety concerns but the merchant navy was expected to continue assisting. The author also discussed the pressure on the crew to return after they had made multiple trips without rest.
The chapter on D-Day is an exciting chapter because the company’s ships were modified even further to carry landing craft to get their crews to the Normandy beaches. The merchant sailors took care of the soldiers who were put on the vessels for the transit across the channel. The crossing was delayed due to weather, and the soldiers were provided with food by the crew members serving on the ship. After the soldiers were dropped off, the vessels brought prisoners to the United Kingdom. Throughout the war, they continued to haul prisoners and transport wounded from the European continent. Then, after VE Day, the ships transported soldiers home.
The author contributes to the expanding historiography on the Isle of Man’s role during World War II. It also compliments other books on the island that discuss the island’s role as a prisoner-of-war center. The author’s use of firsthand accounts to describe the situation on ships during the various events he recounts makes them feel more tangible to the reader. This book is a welcome addition to the ever-growing World War II discussion.
The author, Matthew Richardson, is Curator of Social History at Manx National Heritage. He has a long-term interest in military history and has published several outstanding books on the subject, including 1914: Voices from the Battlefields, The Hunger War: Food, Rations and Rationing 1914–1918 and Eyewitness on the Somme 1916.
| | NAVAL HISTORY BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW | | |
NAVAL ORDER OF THE UNITED STATES
presents
Thomas L Snyder, Capt. USN (Ret.) MD
MARE ISLAND’S NAVAL HOSPITAL: A History in Medicine
The first Navy medical officer stepped foot in the San Francisco Bay in 1856. He thereby initiated a century-long tale of intrepidity and new ideas, the likes of which we’ve come to expect from the West Coast. Surviving earthquake and California’s high costs of everything, through architectural creativeness, to maritime, medical, and surgical innovation, the history of the Navy’s first West Coast hospital tells a unique and inspiring Navy story.
Tom Snyder started his own Navy story through the Vietnam-era Ensign 1915 medical school program. After active duty assignments in destroyers in the South China Sea and at the Naval Postgraduate School, Tom went on to serve in the Navy Reserve, enjoying work and people in a full panoply of Navy communities, including minesweepers, the Marine Corps, the “air side”, and a variety of administrative posts. Upon retiring from the Navy and from his civilian work as a Kaiser-Permanente urologist, Tom followed a long tradition among physicians. The result of a 20-year love labor of researching to write some medical history is his book, “Mare Island Naval Hospital: A History, 1864–1957” (McFarland, July 2025).
Watch this NOUS History Presentation HERE!
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92nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Military History
March 26-29, 2026, Arlington, VA
Deadline for submissions: Friday October 17, 2025
https://forms.gle/yhoTAPLxSMC1SmjJ9
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The Society for Military History is pleased to call for papers for its 92nd Annual Meeting, hosted at the Crystal Gate Marriott, Arlington, Virginia.
The Program Committee’s objective is to create a slate of panels that represent the breadth of expertise and interests, as well as the overall diversity of the Society’s wide-ranging membership. Proposals for panels and papers on all facets of military history (broadly defined) will be considered for inclusion. We encourage new and existing Society members, whether in academic institutions, the armed forces and governmental agencies, museums and archives, independent scholars, or employed internationally, to participate.
Priority will be given to complete panel submissions that highlight the presentation of original research, new interpretations, topics of immediate interest to our membership, and cutting-edge trends and subject matter. Roundtable submissions and proposals for individual papers and posters are also welcome. For details see below.
Panel, paper, and poster proposals must include the following information:
• Panel proposals (ideally of three papers) must include: a panel title and 300-word abstract summarizing the theme of the panel; paper titles and a 300-word abstracts for the three papers proposed; and a one-page professional curriculum vitae for each panelist (including the chair and commentator). CVs must include professional affiliation and email address, but should not contain other personal information.
• Roundtable proposals must include a roundtable title, the full names and professional affiliations of each participant, a 300-word abstract summarizing the roundtable’s themes, points of discussion, and expected contribution of each participant; and a one-page curriculum vitae for each participant (including the moderator, if any). Roundtables may follow different formats but should plan for no more than 5-minute presentations by individual participants.
• Poster proposals allow military historians (especially, but not limited to, graduate students) to share their research through visual materials. Proposals should clearly explain (in no more than 300 words) the poster’s topics and arguments, as well as how the information will be presented visually and include a one-page curriculum vitae. This year we also especially encourage posters on the teaching of military history at all levels. The poster format is well suited to conveying information about teaching tools, tricks, and materials. In coordination with the SMH committee on teaching, and with the author’s permission, select posters may be displayed at an SMH table at conferences for educators (such as the National Council for History Education and the National Council for Social Studies).
• Individual paper proposals will also be considered and must include a paper title, 300-word abstract of the paper, and one-page curriculum vitae. If accepted, individual papers will be assigned by the program committee to an appropriate panel with a chair and commentator. Presenters who wish to volunteer to serve as chairs and commentators should send a one-page curriculum vitae to the program committee chair at the email listed below.
Read more information here>>
| | Call for Papers: International Journal of Naval History | | |
Call for Papers: Trafalgar Chronicle
Publication Date: Fall 2026
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THEME: Navies in the Age of Revolutions, 1775–1848
For the 2026 edition of the Trafalgar Chronicle, New Series 10, the editors seek carefully researched, scholarly articles on Navies in the Age of Revolutions, 1775–1848. We invite essays about naval contributions, roles, and issues in the context of revolutionary political, social, economic, and technological change during the last decades of the Age of Sail.
Additional Topics: We also seek general interest articles with unique perspectives on the maritime and naval history of the Georgian era: biographical portraits, battles at sea, maritime economics, exploration of foreign shores, foreign relations, politics, etc.
Proposal Submission Guidelines: Please submit a proposal/abstract of about 500 words and a paragraph about your background (a biographical sketch) by 1 September 2025. Applicants will be notified of acceptance status by 1 October 2025. Submit all proposals and inquiries to tc.editor@1805Club.org. Detailed author guidelines are available upon request.
Article Guidelines: Articles should range between 3,000 to 5,000 words long in MSWORD (unprotected) following the New Oxford Style Manual. Please include three to six high-resolution illustrations, each in a separate file (jpeg, pdf, or tiff) with a list of captions in a separate file. Articles are due 1 February 2026. They will be edited and, in some cases, submitted to peer review. Articles will be returned to authors for any revisions by 1 April 2026. Revisions are due by 1 May 2026. Publication will be Fall/Autumn 2026. Seaforth Publishing is our publisher.
While we do not pay contributors, each will receive a copy of the Trafalgar Chronicle upon publication. Non-1805 Club members will also receive a free one-year membership. Authors retain copyright to their articles.
Our Contributors: We welcome articles from 1805 Club members and anyone with an interest in the history of the Georgian era sailing navies. Our articles have come from writers of varied backgrounds: historians, journalists, university students, military personnel, preservationists, novelists and enthusiasts of the period. Contact tc.editor@1805Club.org for additional information.
The Trafalgar Chronicle is the scholarly flagship publication of The 1805 Club, a charity registered in England and Wales (number 1202272) with an international membership of scholars and enthusiasts of the Georgian maritime era. The 1805 Club takes its name from the iconic Battle of Trafalgar that gave Nelson his place in history and confirmed the role of the Royal Navy in asserting Britain’s sea power.
| | Brigadier General James L Collins Jr. Book Prize in Military History | | |
The US Commission on Military History proudly announces the submission date for all books
for consideration for the Brigadier General James L. Collins Book Prize in Military History. The
prize entails a $2,000 award to the author, irrespective of nationality, of the best book written in
English on any field of military history published during 2024. The Book Prize Committee,
comprising USCMH members Dr. Edward J. Marolda, (Chair), Dr. Jeffrey Clark, and Dr. John
Hosler, will review the submitted books and select the winner. Topics in all periods and all
aspects of military history (including naval and air warfare) will be considered.
One copy of books for consideration by the Collins Prize Committee must be submitted to each
of the following addresses:
Dr. Edward J. Marolda
15570 Golf Club Drive
Montclair, VA 22015
Dr. Jeffrey Clarke
1011 North Van Dorn Street
Alexandria, VA 22304
Dr. John Hosler
Command and General Staff College
Department of Military History
100 Stimson Avenue
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027
Copies must be postmarked no later than 31 December 2025. Upon notification from the
selection committee, the Collins Prize will be presented at the USCMH Annual General Meeting
usually held in early November of the following year. For further information contact the Collins
Prize Committee Chair at: edwardmarolda@yahoo.com
| | UPCOMING NAVAL & MARITIME HISTORY GATHERINGS | | |
12–13 September 2025: Britain Conflict and the Sea Conference National Maritime Museum, Greenwich UK
18–19 September 2025: McMullen Naval History Symposium, US Naval Academy
19 September 2025: Knox Award Ceremony/Reception US Naval Institute Details to be posted at usni.org
24–27 September 2025: Historic Naval Ship Association (HNSA) Symposium/12th Maritime Heritage Conference, Buffalo, NY
27–31 May 2026: NASOH Annual Meeting, New Haven, CT
13–17 October 2025: Oostende, Belgium 8th International Congress for Underwater Archaeology
14-18 October 2025: Naval Order 2025 National Congress, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
21-22 October 2025: UK Maritime Heritage Forum Glasgow, Scotland
29 October 2025: Maritime History North Autumn Conference, Liverpool, UK
30–31 October 2025: Naval History Conference Maynooth University, Ireland
Contact”
10–12 February 2026: The US Naval Institute and AFCEA International 36th annual WEST Conference. San Diego.
21–22 February 2026: Western Naval History Annual Symposium; USS Midway San Diego
26–29 March 2026: 92nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Military History, Arlington, VA
22–25 April 2026: Council of American Maritime Museums Annual Conference Mystic Seaport, CT.
27–31 May 2026: NASOH Annual Meeting, New Haven, Ct.
| PREBLE HALL NAVAL HISTORY PODCAST | |
A naval history podcast from Preble Hall – the United States Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. Preble Hall interviews historians, practitioners, military personnel, and other experts on a variety of naval history topics from ancient history to more current events.
Click here for the latest episode: 248 - Marc Leepson - Unlikely War Hero>>
Click here for all Preble Hall Podcasts >>
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DRACHINIFEL YOUTUBE CHANNEL
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NAVY HISTORY MATTERS
Welcome to Navy History Matters, the Naval History and Heritage Command’s biweekly compilation of articles, commentaries, and blogs related to history and heritage. Every other week, they gather the top-interest items from a variety of media and social media sources that link to related content at NHHC’s website, your authoritative source for Navy history.
Click here for most recent article>>
| SUPPORTING US NAVAL HISTORY & HERITAGE | |
With the 250th anniversary of the US Navy on the horizon, NMHS seeks your support as we plan to honor those who have provided for our maritime security.
Click here to donate today >>
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