Prologue : naval battles and history -- Wooden warships and the western frontier : the Battle of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813 -- Iron, steam, and national union : the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862 -- Armored cruisers and empire : the Battle of Manila Bay, May 1, 1898 -- Naval aviation and world war : the Battle of Midway, June 4, 1942 -- Missile warfare and the American imperium : Operation Praying Mantis, the Persian Gulf, April 18, 1988 -- Epilogue : naval battles and the 21st century. |