'The Bluejacket's Manual' will make you wish you'd joined the 'World's Greatest Navy'

I recently finished reading a very cool, non-fiction book that I’ve wanted to read for a while, “The Bluejacket’s Manual” by Thomas J. Cutler.

Those of you familiar with the U.S. Navy will probably be familiar with this book. It’s issued to all Navy recruits when they enter boot camp in Great Lakes, Ill. It’s not only considered a military classic, but it’s also best known for being a basic handbook for U.S. Navy personnel. Many refer to it as the “bible” for Navy seamen and airmen.

The copy that I read is the 23rd edition of the book, also known as the “Centennial Edition,” because it was published in 2002 by the Naval Institute Press, 100 years after the 1902 first edition. The late Lt. Ridley McLean wrote the original version of the book.

Cutler, who updated the book for a 24th edition that was released in 2009, enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 in 1965. He retired in 1990 as a lieutenant commander after a career that included service in patrol craft, destroyers, aircraft carriers and a combat tour in Vietnam. He is the founder and former director of the Walbrook Maritime Academy in Baltimore, Md. He also taught seamanship, navigation, tactics, leadership and history for nine years at the U.S. Naval Academy. Since 1991, he’s taught strategy and policy at the Naval War College. He now works as the senior acquisitions editor at the U.S. Naval Institute. His other books include “Brown Water, Black Berets: Coastal and Riverine Warfare in Vietnam” and “The Battle of Leyte Gulf: 23-26 October 1944.”

In enjoyed reading “The Bluejacket’s Manual” because I was interested in learning more about the U.S. Navy. A wide range of Navy topics were covered in this 647-page book, including Naval Missions and Heritage; Ranks, Rates, Ratings and Paygrades; Uniforms; Leadership, Discipline and Personal Relations; Courtesies, Customs and Ceremonies; Military Fundamentals; Security; Duty Assignments and Advancements; Navy Education and Training; Navy Pay and Benefits; Ship Construction; Ships and Aircraft; Ship and Squadron Organization; Weapons, Shipboard Life; Safety and Emergencies; Damage Control; Seamanship; Boats; Navigation; Communications; Health, Fitness and First Aid; Navy Organization; Navy History; Navigational Aids; Morse Code; Navy Flags and Pennants; Awards and Decorations; the Navy’s Service Song; and a Glossary of Navy Terms and Acronyms.

After buying my copy of “The Bluejacket’s Manual,” I learned that an updated 24th edition was released in May 2009, and it was also written by Cutler. If you plan to read this book, I recommend that you get the 24th edition because you could tell that the 23rd edition needed some updating. For example, there were more than a few references to the threat posed by Iraqi dictator Sadaam Hussein, who was put to death in 2006.

If you’ve read “The Bluejacket’s Manual” and enjoyed it, you might want to check out some of the other books published by the Naval Institute Press, which is the book-publishing arm of the U.S. Naval Institute. For a free catalog describing Naval Institute Press books currently available, visit www.navalinstitute.org.