It is hard to believe that a work like this has not existed before. What Spencer Tucker has accomplished with his latest effort is to assemble information on the subject of United States Naval history during World War II in a two-volume set encyclopedia.

What sets this encyclopedia apart from all others that cover World War II and the Navy is that it is the only work of its kind to focus specifically on all characteristics of naval service during World War II. Similar items focus on specific types of vessels such as: Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia (M. J. Whitley, 2004), Destroyers of World War II: An International Encyclopedia (M. J. Whitley, 2000), and American Cruisers of W.W. II: A Pictorial History (Steve Ewing, 1985). While Fight for the Sea: Naval Adventures from World War II (Turner, 2002) covers the British Royal Navy perspective.

A brief review of the A–Z entries shows that the encyclopedia consists of influential people, places, ships, battles, operations, campaigns, and miscellaneous entries. An example of the entries include the following: “Adriatic, Naval Operations in,” “Bismarck, Sortie and Sinking of (March 2-5, 1943),” “Iwo Jima, Invasion of,” “Nimitz, Chester William (1885-1966), “Hospital Ships,” “Human Torpedoes,” “Gibraltar,” and “Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES).”

In addition to the A-Z entries, the book includes the following sections: “Chronology of Principal Events of World War II at Sea” and “Glossary of World War II Naval Terms.” The chronology consists of seven pages of brief descriptions of events beginning with September 1, 1939 when German forces invaded Poland and ending with September 2, 1945 on V-J Day (victory over Japan). The glossary explains military acronyms and terminology.

The entries are listed alphabetically. A categorical index is included for finding information about specific subheadings such as individuals; events; groups and organizations; places; ideas and movements; technologies, agreements, objects, and artifacts; and a miscellaneous category.

One drawback is that while there are several black and white photographs, there are no illustrations or maps included. Everyone from students searching for basic information to military buffs and historians looking for more in-depth information will benefit from this resource. Colleges, universities, public libraries, and high school libraries could all benefit from this work.