フリゲートの小さな軍隊だった時代から、蒸気船を経て、現在のように電子機器やミサイルを搭載した艦艇を配備する今日まで、米海軍の装備、組織、機能の歴史的変遷を見てゆきます。米海軍の役割について政策立案者たちはどう考え、その規模や性質は内的・外的課題によりどう変化したのでしょうか。著者は海軍史とは国家の歴史そのもので国際社会における米国の役割の変化が現れていると指摘します。
  

• Charts the entire history of the U.S. Navy from 1775 to the present
• Provides a concise, accessible account of a key American institution
• Covers both specific, pivotal moments and broad historical trends

 
This fast-paced narrative traces the emergence of the United States Navy as a global power from its birth during the American Revolution through to its current superpower status. The story highlights iconic moments of great drama pivotal to the nation's fortunes: John Paul Jones' attacks on the British during the Revolution, the Barbary Wars, and the arduous conquest of Iwo Jima.

The book illuminates the changes—technological, institutional, and functional—of the U.S. Navy from its days as a small frigate navy through the age of steam and steel to the modern era of electronics and missiles. Historian Craig L. Symonds captures the evolving culture of the navy and debates between policymakers about what role the institution should play in world affairs. Internal and external challenges dramatically altered the size and character of the navy, with long periods of quiet inertia alternating with rapid expansion emerging out of crises. The history of the navy reflects the history of the nation as a whole, and its many changes derive in large part from the changing role of the United States itself.