All the Factors of Victory: Adm. Joseph Reeves and the Origins of Carrier Airpower

by Thomas Wildenberg

Overview

Adm. Joseph Mason Reeves (1872–1948) took command of the U.S. Navy’s nascent carrier arm during a critical period, transforming it from a small auxiliary command in support of the battle line into a powerful strike force. Until the carrier commanders of World War II proved their mettle, Reeves’s expertise in the use of the aircraft carrier in naval tactics was unequaled. All the Factors of Victory is the first full-length biography of this eminent naval officer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682473009
Publisher:	Naval Institute Press
Publication date:	01/15/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	718,646
File size:	10 MB

Editorial Reviews

Thomas Wildenberg has provided a long-needed . . . solid professional biography, telling us much about the man's motivations as well as his assignments and accomplishments. . . . Excellent.” —Norman Polmar; The Journal of Military History

“Wildenberg's detailed, easily read text is a compendium of the turn-of-the-century Navy that will be of interest to everyone. . . . The author explores this important but little-known period, including new aircraft like the Boeing and Curtiss fighters of the time. It's good reading.” —Peter Mersky; The Hook

“Wildenberg has mined previously neglected official and private sources to tell the story of Reeves's life and career against the background of technological innovation and bureaucratic change in the 1920s and 1930s. All the Factors of Victory is an important book that deserves the attention of all serious historians of naval aviation.” —WIlliam F. Trimble, author of Admiral William A. Moffett: Architect of Naval Aviation

“Wildenberg has written a very well researched and enjoyable biography. While having to deal with a scarcity of information from Reeves himself, Wildenburg made rational assumptions, where necessary, based on his extensive research. He provides many entertaining anecdotes about Reeves' life at sea and ashore. Of particular interest is the detail he offers on Reeves' interactions throughout his career with fellow officers, command-level naval officers, members of various boards and panels, and period politicians, including President Franklin Roosevelt. The book serves to enlighten the reader on the life, commitment and outcomes of a little-known, but highly influential, American patriot. It is a good read.” —Air Force Historical Foundation

“Reeves made an important contribution in preparing the US Navy through the Fleet Problem experimental programme, to advance carrier warfare and make a contribution. A good read that adds to our understanding of the interwar period.” —The NAVY Magazine

“This is an excellent book that not only tells the story of a remarkable man but covers a wide range of naval issues and disciplines although, it has to be said, aviation stands out as the first among them. Reeves was a dynamic officer who deserved his rise to the top of his profession and established carrier operating techniques that have endured the tests of conflict time. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and recommend it to [anyone] with a wide range of naval and historical interests.” —Australian Naval Institute

“All the Factors of Victory and the Origins of Carrier Airpower is a thought-provoking biography on the influential career of a US Naval Officer and the parallel formation of carrier airpower…. An excellent book describing a change of cultural and military history, through a determined, innovative and ground-breaking USN Officer.” —Aerospace

“Wildenburg has made considerable use of official records and other memoirs to illustrate the significance of Reeves’s career.” —The Mariner’s Mirror

“All the Factors of Victory is an excellent and worthwhile read for anyone interested in naval history, military history, and America’s rise as a world power between the two World Wars.” —International Journal of Naval History

From the Publisher