Judging by the large number of books in print, the history of the U.S. Navy Is indeed a popular one with the general public. S.E. Morision and E.B. Potter are but two of the many authors to produce fine overviews of the history of the naval service. Given the number of tomes out there, what could possibly be left to say on the subject? From the gamers perspective lotsl

Craig Symonds' new publication is the "Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy," published by the Naval Institute Press. Symonds is no stranger to this type of project -- having produced similar efforts on the American Revolution and the Civil War. "The Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy" provides more than 90 large maps of naval battles, starting with naval support for the Battle of Bunker Hill and ending with coverage of the navy's role in the Desert Shield / Desert Storm operations of 1991. These maps are the heart of the book, and detail various naval operations from the regional responsibilities of anti-piracy patrols in the early 19th Century, down to individual frigate actions.

Symonds -- a professor of naval history at the U.S. Naval Academy -approaches the material in chronological order, beginning with the original privateers hired by George Washington. The navy's past is divided into 10 eras based on major conflicts (War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II), technological innovation (Age of Sail, Age of Steam), or political requirements (post Civil War stagnation, the Cold War, and what Symonds calls the'Pax Americana").

The text is limited to a broad overview of each era, covering the general situation, major players, and results. This isn't a rehash of Potter, though. This is an ATLAS! Symonds' work shines in contrasts with a Common failing of many modern military history publications -- bad maps. A publishing trend in the past 10 years has seen maps "dumbed down" to the point of irrelevance. Often, if a map is present, it lacks a scale, legend, or is so general as to be meaningless. As wargamers, these are things we should demand be provided by publishers.

In contrast, Symonds' maps are models of what a military history map should be. There are scales on the vast majority of the maps. Legends clearly identify the terrain, units and directions. The only shortcoming is the book is not a thorough as some wargamers might want. The Civil War section lacks any detail on the Red River campaign, and with the exceptions of New Orleans and Island No. 10, is very thin on the Mississippi river campaign in general. Considering the importance of the campaign, and the technological revolution that occurred on the rivers, these are glaring omissions. However, this should be balanced against the inclusion of maps of Port Royal, Forts Henry and Donnelson (with scales!), Charleston, and Mobile -- along with classics maps such as Fort Fisher (basically a rehash of the map in the 1898 Atlas to accompany the Official Records).

Symonds coverage of the Spanish-American War is sound. The battles of Manila Bay and the Bay of Santiago de Cuba both receive good coverage. The WWII section gives good coverage not just to naval actions, but also to the accompanying amphibious landings.

Many wargamers are familiar with Vincent Espositos 1960s vintage atlases of military history. Esposito is the standard all other military atlases are measured against. Craig Symonds states up front that Esposito was a major inspiration for creating an atlas detailing the exploits of the U.S. Navy. "The Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy also is a benchmark work in mass market military cartography. It is worthy company to Esposito's earlier works. (Symonds, Craig L., Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 1995. $62.50 from Barnes and Noble.)