Naval War College Review Volume 66 Article 15 Number 2 Spring 2013 Potomac Fever: A Memoir of Politics and Public Service John Hattendorf J. William Middendorf II Follow this and additional works at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review Recommended Citation Hattendorf, John and Middendorf, J. William II (2013) "Potomac Fever: A Memoir of Politics and Public Service," Naval War College Review: Vol. 66 : No. 2 , Article 15. Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol66/iss2/15 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Naval War College Review by an authorized editor of U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 126 n AVALHattendorf WAR C OandLLEGE Middendorf: REVIEW Potomac Fever: A Memoir of Politics and Public Service something requiring the provision of ambassador to the Netherlands, 1969– justice, good government, and all that 73; Under Secretary and then Secre- is necessary to secure human security. tary of the Navy, 1973–77; permanent It will come as little surprise that the representative to the Organization of majority of essays in this estimable and American States, 1981–85; U.S. rep- thought-provoking volume display resentative to the European Union, little sympathy for such “new wars” 1985–87; and finally the chairman of views. Change has occurred, but the the White House Task Force on Project new wars/old wars argument is be- Economic Justice, 1985–87. In addition, tween strawmen who do not exist, or if Middendorf has been a board member they did, who survived only for a time of the Heritage Foundation and of the and need to be examined in historical Defense Forum Foundation, as well as context. “The wars waged at the start playing continuing key roles as an ac- of the twenty-first century were still tive supporter of the Navy League, the predominantly the products of na- Naval Order of the United States, and tional, religious and ethnic identity; many other naval-related activities. their aims remained governance and The history of the U.S. Navy’s civilian state formation. Paradoxically, however, administration and its political dimen- they have been seen as wars of a new sion is a relatively overlooked subject variety, principally because we have when compared to its operational his- mistaken the character of individual tory. Moreover, it is rare that a Secretary wars for war’s normative nature.” “New of the Navy writes his memoirs, but wars” often turn out to be “old wars” when he does they provide invaluable coming back to fool us all over again. information, insight, and perspective. Only a very few of Middendorf’s prede- MARTIN MURphY Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Foreign cessors have published their memoirs, Research Studies generally figures who served during Dalhousie University key periods, such as John D. Long of the William McKinley administration and John Lehman of the Ronald Reagan administration. Middendorf’s service as both under secretary and secretary Middendorf, J. William, II. Potomac Fever: A linked the last year of Richard Nixon’s Memoir of Politics and Public Service. Annapolis, administration with the entire Gerald Md.: Naval Institute Press, 2011. 213pp. $29.95 Ford administration and provides A mong horses, Potomac fever is a valuable insights from that period. potentially fatal gastrointestinal disease, The published works of the two Chiefs but in the world of American gov- of Naval Operations who served ernmental officials it has an entirely under Middendorf—Admiral Elmo different meaning—although it too can Zumwalt, who served his final months be a fatal disease. In this case, J. William under him and published his memoir Middendorf II refers to the impetus that On Watch (1976), and Admiral James led him to leave a successful career as L. Holloway III, who published his an investment banker on Wall Street for memoir under the title Aircraft Car- Washington, D.C., to become treasurer riers at War (2007)—are significantly of the Republican Party, 1964–68; then complemented by this book, which Published by U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons, 2013 1 NWC_Spring2013Review.indb 126 2/26/13 8:48 AM Naval War College Review, Vol. 66 [2013], No. 2, Art. 15 BOOK REVIEWS 127 provides a valuable firsthand ac- notes that “the path through life is a count that historians will continue checklist of things that you don’t have to use to understand these years. to do again. Life is all about seeking To take the volume as a whole, Mid- equilibrium, the rarest of human condi- dendorf’s purpose in writing his book tions. It’s about moving forward without is quite different from that of other going over the cliff, finding success memoir writers. He clearly tells his own without losing our way, smelling the story, not in self-justification, but rather roses without getting stung by the bees.” as a series of lessons learned for anyone J OHN HATTENDORF who might have similar ambitions for N aval War College public service. Thus, his tone and focus, are modest and even self-deprecating, while the book tends toward a broad narrative punctuated by well told and illustrative stories rather than de- B rown, David K., and George Moore. Rebuilding tailed relations of particular issues. the Royal Navy: Warship Design since 1945. Lon- don: Seaforth, 2012. 208pp. $30 A descendant of Captain William Stone of the Continental Navy, who This title is the fourth and final in the had brought the Navy its first warships authors’ best-selling technical series, named Wasp and Hornet, Middendorf which covers the development and has a personal naval experience that design of the Royal Navy’s iron and goes back to his undergraduate days at steel warships since HMS Warrior in Harvard. In the first of his chapters on the 1850s. The volume under review, his period as secretary, he relates his a reprint of its first edition of 2003, first meeting with Admiral Zumwalt, covers the awkward and challenging while still ambassador to the Nether- half-century since the end of the Second lands. Middendorf clearly supported World War. This was not an easy time and encouraged Zumwalt’s initiatives for warship designers, particularly in support of larger roles for women in Europe; they had first to deal with officers. Among his achievements as stringent postwar austerity measures secretary, Middendorf counts as first the that dramatically curtailed their acquisition of the Ohio-class subma- aspirations, and later with the advent rine with its Trident missile, followed of guided-weapon technology, which closely by the Aegis cruiser shipbuilding completely altered the rationale behind program. Clearly, the greatest pleasure the established classes of warships. he had as secretary came in employing Nowhere was this more obvious than his knowledge of and interest in naval for the cruiser classes, which had been history, as he presided over the Navy’s so much of a war-fighting staple for the contribution to the celebration of the bi- Royal Navy following the reductions in centennial of the United States in 1976. the battle fleet as a result of the naval treaties of the twenties and thirties. Throughout, Middendorf has kept in mind that his is a cautionary tale for The authors’ focus has been to present those who might be exposed to Potomac the whole story in terms of the designs fever and be led to follow a similar path. covered, giving equal prominence to In his conclusion the eighty-six-year-old conceptual designs that often never saw https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol66/iss2/15 2 NWC_Spring2013Review.indb 127 2/26/13 8:48 AM.