Sea Soldiers in the Cold War: Amphibious Warfare, 1945-1991

This book is an operational history of amphibious warfare in the cold war, principally as refined and executed by the two superpowers, their allies, and surrogates. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps receive the lion's share of coverage because their amphibious forces evolved earlier, attained credibility sooner, grew larger, and deployed in more distant seas than their counterparts in other countries, but all major powers are treated. The book examines amphibious doctrine, organization, specialized ships and landing craft, and force deployments as part of the naval prosecution of cold war political objectives. It describes repeated cycles of crises and forward deployments when amphibious elements of both superpowers served as "storm petrels" throughout the "years of violent peace."
The authors make clear that amphibious forces have been of enduring utility and cite the war in Korea to prove wrong the post-World War II theory that large-scale amphibious operations were a thing of the past. They list examples right up to the recent war with Iraq to show that amphibious projection of force has successfully been called on in conflicts around the world. They cover operations from Korea and Southeast Asia to the Falklands, Lebanon, Grenada, and Kuwait. Such an integral look at amphibious warfare in the modern era will be a crucial reference for military officers and historians, defense analysts, academics, and journalists, among others.