Books in Print
on Coast Guard History
Recently/Soon To Be Published Books on Coast Guard History:
William D. Wilkinson & CDR Timothy R. Dring, USNR (Ret.). American Coastal Rescue Craft: A Design History of Coastal Rescue Craft Used by the United States Life-Saving Service and the United States Coast Guard. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2009.
Thomas P. Ostrom. The United States Coast Guard in World War II: A History of Domestic and Overseas Actions. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2009.
Ann Buttenwieser. Governors Island: The Jewel of New York Harbor. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2009 (forthcoming in April, 2009; can be ordered by the press in advance, see: www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu)
Jeremy D'Entremont. The Lighthouse Handbook: New England. Kennebunkport, ME: Cider Mill Press, 2008.
Jeremy D'Entremont. The Lighthouses of Maine. Lighthouse Treasury Series. Beverly, MA: Commonwealth Editions, 2009 (forthcoming).
Jeremy D'Entremont. The Lighthouse Handbook: The Hudson River and New York Harbor. Kennebunkport, ME: Cider Mill Press, 2009 (forthcoming).
Therese Mitchell Barbo, John Galluzzo & W. Russell Webster. The Pendleton Disaster Off Cape Cod: The Greatest Small Boat Rescue in Coast Guard History: A True Story. Charleston: History Press, 2007.
Meininger, William F. Recollections of 32 Years in the U.S. Coast Guard and Other Ramblings. Bloomington: Authorhouse, 2008.
Hurley, Neil E. Florida's Lighthouses in the Civil War. Middle River Press: Oakland Park, FL, 2007.
U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary: Birth to the New Normalcy: 1939-2007. Nashville: Turner Publishing, 2007.
James W. Claflin. Historic Nantucket Surfside Life-Saving Station. A History of Nantucket's Life-Saving Stations -Volume 1. Worcester, MA: Kenrick A. Claflin & Son, 2008. For more information see: www.LighthouseAntiques.net
Robert R. Frump. Two Tankers Down: The Greatest Small-Boat Rescue in U.S. Coast Guard History. Lyons Press, 2008. This book chronicles the SS Pendleton and SS Fort Mercer rescues off Chatham, MA, in 1952.
Sandra Henderson Thurlow & Deanna Wintercorn Thurlow. Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge: Home of History. Stuart, Florida: Sewall's Point Company, 2008.
Judd, Ralph. The Coast Guard in Film. Victoria, BC: Trafford Publishing, 2006.
Thomas P. Ostrom. The USCG on the Great Lakes: A History. Oakland, OR: Red Anvil Press, 2007.
Jeremy D'Entremont. The Lighthouses of Massachusetts. Lighthouse Treasury Series. Beverly, MA: Commonwealth Editions, 2007.
Jeremy D'Entremont. The Lighthouses of Rhode Island. Lighthouse Treasury Series. Beverly, MA: Commonwealth Editions, 2006.
Jeremy D'Entremont. The Lighthouses of Connecticut. Lighthouse Treasury Series. Beverly, MA: Commonwealth Editions, 2005.
John C. Raffield. United States Coast Guard Station Panama City, FL: A Seventy-Two Year History, 1933-2005. Raffield Publishing, November, 2005. To order, see: www.coastiepcfl.com/
Kenneth G. Sutherland. United States Coast Guard Harbor Patrol Fleet 1924-1980. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2007. www.authorhouse.com
Captain Arthur H. Wagner, USCG (Ret.). Aloft: A Life Well Spent. Victoria, British Columbia: Trafford Publishing, 2005. ISBN: 1-4120-6450-3 (Captain Wagner's memoirs covering his 21 years as a Coast Guard aviator)
Dick Juge. The Historic Northwest Passage and the CGC STORIS: The Story of a Young Man Growing Up in the Coast Guard in the 1950s. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2007. To order, see: www.TheHistoricNorthwestPassage.com
Badgley, John. Frigate Men: Life on Coast Guard Frigate USS Bisbee, PF-46, During World War II. New Vintage Press, 2007.
Phil Jaffe. The 1954 Historic Arctic Adventure of the Northwind. Tempe, AZ: Third Millennium Publishing, 2003. (See http://3mpub.com for information on ordering copies.)
Herbert E. Nolda with Valerie L. Vierk. Sailing the Troubled Sea: A Nebraska Boy Goes to War: The World War II Memoirs of an Enlisted Man in the United States Coast Guard. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2007. (An autobiography of a Nebraskan who enlisted in the Coast Guard after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served with LCI(L) Flotilla 4/10 during the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy and at D-Day, 6 June 1944 aboard the USS LCI(L)-91. He later served aboard the USS Admiral H. T. Mayo.)
Ken Wiley. Lucky Thirteen: D-Days in the Pacific with the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II. Drexel Hill, PA: Casemate Publishing, 2007. (USS Arthur Middleton veteran recounts his service in the Pacific as an LCVP coxswain.)
George E. Rongner. Life Aboard a Coast Guard Lightship. West Conshohocken, PA: Infinity Publishing Co., 2007. To order call: (877) BUY BOOK
They Had to Go Out. . .True Stories of American's Coastal Life-Savers From the Pages of "Wreck & Rescue Journal." Hull, MA: United States Life-Saving Service Heritage Association, 2007.
Frederic F. Van de Water. The Real McCoy: The Rum-Runner Turned National Hero [William F. McCoy] Whose Quality Liquor and Fair Dealing Perpetuated the Phrase "It's the Real McCoy." Mystic, CT: Flat Hammock Press, 2007, reprint.
Thomas P. Ostrom. The United States Coast Guard on the Great Lakes: A History. Oakland, OR: Red Anvil Press, 2007.
Martha LaGuardia-Kotite. So Others May Live: Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers: Saving Lives, Defying Death (Foreword by Governor Tom Ridge). Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press, 2006.
Doris Licameli. Rowing to the Rescue: The Story of Ida Lewis, Famous Lighthouse Heroine. By the Author, 2006.
Bob Trapani, Jr. Lighthouses of Maryland / Virginia: History, Mystery, Legends & Lore. Elkton, MD: Myst and Lace Publishers, Inc., 2006.
President of the United States, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned, February 2006. Washington, D. C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 2006.
Mary Louise Clifford & J. Candace Clifford. Mind the Light, Katie: The History of Thirty-Three Female Lighthouse Keepers. Alexandria, VA: Cypress Communications, 2006.
Bryan Galecki. Rum Runners, U-Boats & Hurricanes: The Complete History of the Coast Guard Cutters Bedloe and Jackson. Wilmington, NC: Pine Belt Publishing, 2005.
Tanney Edward Oberg. Lucky Sweetbrier: Coast Guard Cutter Survives WWII Okinawa Kamikazes, Typhoons and More. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc., 2005.
U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City Wardroom. Images of America: Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City. Chicago, IL: Arcadia Publishing, 2005.
James T. Flynn, Jr. The Ships and Craft of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. Published by the author, 2005.
Stacy & Virginia Thomas. Images of America: Guarding Door County: Lighthouses and Life-Saving Stations. Chicago, IL: Arcadia Publishing, 2005.
Leon Fredrick. Hooligan Sailor: The Saga of One Coast Guardsman in World War II. Ozark, MO: Hazelwood Publishing, 2005. To order contact the author at 109 Oxford Drive, #4, Branson, Missouri, 65616; Email: tiny@interlinc.net]
Jeremy D'Entremont. The Lighthouses of Connecticut. Lighthouse Treasury Series. Beverly, MA: Commonwealth Editions, 2005.
Duey Graham. OttoMatic: The Remarkable Story of Otto Graham. Wayne, MI: Immortal Investments Publishing, 2004.
Frances Manning Achurch McWhorter. Andando: Walking Through Life With Bill and Frances, 1944-1964. Evans, GA: By the author, 2005. (She was the wife of Commander William Achurch, the "Head Advisor to Commander, Service Forces, Korean Coast Guard" and commanding officer of the U. S. Coast Guard Detachment at Chinhae, South Korea prior to the outbreak of the Korean War.)
LCDR Richard Cortis Greene, USCG (Ret.).
Ice Patrol. By the author, 2005. (A detailed, illustrated historical narrative recounting the Coast Guard's 1938 International Ice Patrol.)
Tom Beard, Editor-in-Chief. The Coast Guard. Seattle: for the Foundation for Coast Guard History by Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, Inc., 2004.
Warren D. Bonner. The Tale of the "Mighty 'E'astwind": USCGC Icebreaker W279; 1943 to 1968; A Biography From WWII, North Atlantic Campaign, Arctica & Antarctica. Orange, CA: By the Author, 2004. (A former crewman of the CGC Eastwind has written a full-length history of his beloved icebreaker; Jack's Joint has posted a pdf copy of the book: www.jacksjoint.com/eastwind-bonner.PDF)
Margaret Thomas Buchholz. New Jersey Shipwrecks: 350 Years in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Harvey Cedars, NJ: Down the Shore Publishing, 2004.
James W. Claflin. Historic Nantucket Lightships: New South Shoal, 1854-1896. A History of Nantucket's Lightships on New South Shoal, Volume 1. Worcester, MA: By the Author, 2005.
James W. Claflin. Historic Nantucket Lighthouses: Great Point. A History of Nantucket's Lighthouses on Great Point. Worcester, MA: Kenrick A. Claflin & Son, 2004.
Mary Louise & J. Candace Clifford. Maine Lighthouses: Documentation of Their Past. Alexandria, VA: Cypress Communications, 2004.
Elinor DeWire. Florida Lighthouses for Kids. Pineapple Press, Inc., 2004.
Elinor DeWire & Laurence Parent (photographer). Lighthouses: Sentinels of the American Coast. Portland, OR: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company, 2004.
Van R. Field & John J. Galluzzo. Images of America: New Jersey Coast Guard Stations and Rumrunners. Arcadia Publishing, 2004.
Todd Lewans. The Last Run: A True Story of Rescue and Redemption on the Alaska Seas. Harper Collins, 2004.
Lennart Lundh. Sikorsky HH-52A: An Illustrated History. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 2004.
The Lighthouse Encyclopedia. Norwalk, CT: The Eaton Press, 2004.
Dennis Noble. Rescued By the U.S. Coast Guard: Great Acts of Heroism Since 1878. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2004.
Thomas P. Ostrom. The United States Coast Guard: 1790 to the Present. Oakland, Oregon: Red Anvil Press, 2006.
Bob and Sandra Shanklin. List of All Existing U.S. Lighthouses. Fort Walton Beach, FL: The Lighthouse People, 2003.
Bob and Sandra Shanklin. Lighthouses of Alaska. Fort Walton Beach, FL: The Lighthouse People, 2003.
Peter Spectre (Interviewer). The Reminiscences of Admiral Merlin O'Neill, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired). Annapolis: U.S. Naval Institute, 2004.
Maurice "Moe" Steinberg. A Sailor at War on the Greenland Patrol - WWII. Random House/Xlibris, 2003. (See http://www1.xlibris.com for more information.)
Paul Stillwell (Interviewer). The Reminiscences of Admiral James S. Gracey, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired). Annapolis: U.S. Naval Institute, 2004. ** Also on-line; click here ("pdf" file).
Paul Stillwell (Interviewer). The Reminiscences of Admiral Paul A. Yost, Jr., U.S. Coast Guard (Retired). Annapolis: U.S. Naval Institute, 2004.
Frederick Stonehouse. Wreck Ashore: The United States Life-Saving Service on the Great Lakes. Duluth, MN: Lake Superior Port Cities, Inc., 1994. Reprinted 2003.
Bob Trapani, Jr. Lighthouses of New Jersey & Delaware: History, Mystery, Legends & More. Elkton, MD: Myst and Lace Publishers, Inc., 2005.
Michael Walling. Bloodstained Sea: The U.S. Coast Guard in the Battle of the Atlantic, 1941-1944. International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, 2004.
Other Books On Coast Guard History That Are Still In Print:
George Alton. FS's: The Little Ships That Could: A History of the Campaigns in the Pacific and the Personal Experiences of the Author on the U.S. Army FS-268. By the author, 2000. (For information on ordering copies contact the author at: agaltongrshn@aol.com)
Albert W. Becker, Sr. U.S.S. Muskogee PF-49: World War II Adventures in the Southwest Pacific; South Pacific; North Pacific. By the author, 2000. (For information contact the author at 10450 2nd Rd., Plainview, IL 62685; phone number: (618)-836-7142; email: budbecker80@yahoo.com)
Robert F. Bennett. Surfboats, Rockets and Carronades. Toms River, NJ: Ocean County Historical Society, 2003, reprint.
R. John Brockmann. Exploding Steamboats, Senate Debates, and Technical Reports: The Convergence of Technology, Politics and Rhetoric in the Steamboat Bill of 1838. Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing Company, 2002.
James Claflin. Historic Cape Cod Lighthouses: Race Point. Worcester, MA: Kenrick A. Claflin & Son, 2003.
________. Historic Nantucket Lighthouses: Great Point. A History of Nantucket's Lighthouses on Great Point. Worcester, MA: Kenrick A. Claflin & Son, 2004.
________. Historic Nantucket Lighthouses: Sankaty Head. A History of Nantucket's Lighthouse at Sankaty Head. Worcester, MA: Kenrick A. Claflin & Son, 2003.
J. Candace Clifford & Mary Louise Clifford. Nineteenth-Century Lights: Historic Images of American Lighthouses. Alexandria, VA: Cypress Communications, 2000.
________. Women Who Kept the Lights: An Illustrated History of Female Lighthouse Keepers. Alexandria, VA, 2000. Second Edition.
Russell Drumm. The Barque of Saviors: Eagle's Passage From the Nazi Navy to the U.S. Coast Guard. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
Robert H. Farson. Twelve Men Down: Massachusetts Sea Rescues. Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts: Cape Cod Historical Publications, 2000.
Van R. Field. Wrecks and Rescues on Long Island, The Story of the U.S. Lifesaving Service. East Patchogue, NY: Searles Graphics, Inc. [the author], 1997. (For information contact the author at 17 Inwood Road, Center Moriches, NY 11934)
Charles B. Hathaway. From Highland to Hammerhead: The Coast Guard and Cape Cod. Chatham, MA: By the author, 2000. (For more information contact the author at 42 Lakeview Avenue, Chatham, MA 02633.)
Phil Jaffe. The 1954 Historic Arctic Adventure of the Northwind. Tempe, AZ: Third Millennium Publishing, 2003. (See http://3mpub.com for information on ordering copies.)
Steven Karges. Keepers of the Lights: Lighthouse Keepers & Their Families. Door County, Wisconsin: 1837-1939. Ellison Bay, Wisconsin: Caxon Ltd., 2000.
C. Douglas Kroll. Commodore Ellsworth P. Bertholf: First Commandant of the Coast Guard. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2002.
Alex Larzelere. The Coast Guard in World War I. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2003.
Alex Larzelere. The 1980 Cuban Boatlift: Castro's Ploy - America's Dilemma. The University Press of the Pacific, 2002. (Reprint of the 1988 National Defense University Press edition.)
Eric Mills. Chesapeake Rumrunners of the Roaring Twenties. Centreville, MD: Tidewater Publishers, 2000.
Edgar Nash. The Court-Martial of Ensign Mason. Modesto, CA: by the author, 2001. (The author notes: "the book is based on my experiences during WWII as Gunnery Officer aboard a destroyer escort, with duty in the Med, UK and Atlantic. Before and after being torpedoed in the Med. Many photos were taken from my ship, including the horrendous explosion used on the cover. I believe Coast Guard people, past and present will enjoy it, for it bears heavily on the Academy. For information on ordering, contact the author via email: ramblersoup@bigvalley.net)
Dennis L. Noble. Lifeboat Sailors: Inside the Coast Guard's Small Boat Stations. Washington, D.C.: Brassey's, 2000.
________. The Rescue of the Gale Runner: Death, Heroism, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2002.
J. W. Perkins, J. W. Battle Stars and Naval Awards: Including Presidential Unit Citations and Navy Unit Commendations Earned by the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps During World War II and Korea. Seminole: FL: By The Author, 1999. See author's website for information on ordering: www.BattleStarsAndNavalAwards.com
Douglas Peterson. United States Lighthouse Service Tenders: 1840-1939. Annapolis & Trappe, Maryland: Eastwind Publishing, 2000.
William Peterson. United States Life-Saving Service in Michigan. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing Company, 2000.
Jack E. Pulwers. The Press of Battle: The GI Reporter and the American People. Raleigh, NC: Ivyhouse Publishing Group, 2003.
Paul C. Scotti. Coast Guard Action in Vietnam: Stories of Those Who Served. Central Point, Oregon: Hellgate Press, 2000. To order a copy contact: Hellgate Press; P.O. Box 3727; Central Point, OR 97502-0032; Telephone: (800) 228-2275; Web: www.psi-research.com
Ralph Shanks, Wick York, & Lisa Woo Shanks (Editor). The U.S. Life-Saving Service: Heroes, Rescues and Architecture of the Early Coast Guard. Petaluma, California: Costano Books, 1996.
Lenore Skomal. The Keeper of Lime Rock: The Remarkable True Story of Ida Lewis, America's Most Celebrated Lighthouse Keeper. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Running Press, 2003.
Truman R. Strobridge & Dennis L. Noble. Alaska and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service: 1867-1915. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1999.
C. W. Swickley. Kicking Tires and Lighting Fires: Coast Guard Aviation As It Made the Leap From Recips To Jets. Pensacola, FL: By the Author, 1996.
John A. Tilley. The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary: A History, 1939-1999. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2003.
Robert Trapani, Jr. Indian River Life-Saving Station . . . Journey Along the Sands: The U.S. Life-Saving Service Years, 1876-1915. Virginia Beach: The Donning Company Publishers, 2002.
Spike Walker. Coming Back Alive: The Most Harrowing Search and Rescue Mission Ever Attempted on Alaska's High Seas. St. Martin's Press, 2001.
Carole Weatherford. Sink or Swim: African-American Lifesavers of the Outer Banks. Coastal Carolina Press, 1999.
Graham Wilson, ed. Where the Ice Never Melts:
The 1888 and 1889 Voyages of the US Cutter Thetis. Yukon, Canada: Wolf Creek Books, 2003.