Pacific Campaign Commander's Pathfinder

By Charles Wexler

Internet Work


Interested Organizations: <The US Naval Institute: http://www.usni.org/contact_us.htm>.

Internet Databases: 1. EBSCOhost: <http://search.epnet.com>.

2. Pro Quest Historical Newspaper Search at Big Chalk Library: <http://library.bigchalk.com>.

 

Specific Web Sites/Image Indexes:
1. "Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr." 2 June 1996. <http://www.history.navy.mil/faq/faq36-5.htm>.
This website, operated by the Department of the Navy-Naval Historical Center, provides an adequate look into Halsey's life in a brief, concise biography.

2. Haze Gray & Underway. <http://www.hazegray.org>.
This site, maintained by Andrew Toppan, is the last word in specific information about naval history and photography. Information about specific ships from World War II can be found here, as well as select information about international navies.

Closing Remarks

My advice is that while the Internet is a great tool and has a lot of useful information, the most comprehensive information and the keynote people in the field of military history and World War II are not online, but in books. Works such as Buell's The Quiet Warrior are not only the end-all be-all of the field, but are also classics of naval literature. Books put out by the Naval Institute Press are 99.9% of the time excellent resources and contain information not usually found online, but are also better reads than most information online. However, do not rule out the powers of the net. Out-of-print searches such as those on Amazon.com are extremely useful for finding classics no longer in print such as Buell's classic work or Halsey's autobiography. While I did not find Internet databases to be extremely useful, some, such as EBSCOhost, may prove valuable to those just beginning their foray into the field of military history. However, whether Internet, print or both types of resources are used, the main goal of performing research in this area is to learn. If you haven't learned anything, then what is the purpose of performing research. Good luck with your research, and have a good day.

Charles Wexler
21 April 2002.