Dictionary of admirals of the U.S. Navy /

Following a discussion headed "Ranks in the United States Navy" and tables of abbreviations, Cogar's alphabetically arranged roster presents concise information on 211 USN admirals from 1862 (when the rank was first used) to the end of the 19th century. Each entry contains personal data, ranks achieved, a chronological summary of the admiral's entire career plus career highlights, and references. The references are particularly helpful, giving "berthing" descriptions and locations of personal papers as well as citing any monographs, articles, or essays written by or about the named officer. Each man is depicted in a small photograph beside his entry; the volume is concluded with a three-page "Note on Sources," which might profitably be employed by those seeking to go beyond the material earlier provided. Of far greater breadth than either Karl Schuon's United States Navy Biographical Dictionary (1965) or the three-volume, multiservice Dictionary of American Military Biography, ed. by Roger J. Spiller (CH, May '85), Cogar's work, when finished (probably early next century), should provide libraries with the most comprehensive set of biographical profiles available for leaders of this branch of the US armed forces. -M. J. Smith Jr., Salem-Teikyo University