Book Reviews

• Pages: 06

Reviewed by William S Relds'.

In the era of the Strategic Defense Initiative, an analysis of America's coastal defense policies of the nineteenth century might appear, at first glance, to be of little practical value. But a study of such mattem is not as anachronistic BS it may seem. For as David A. Clary aptly demonstrates in his recent work, Fortress Awiea, there IS a defirute continuity in American defense policies and pro-&Tams. driven by a desire to protect the nation's territorial integity from "sudden war;' of which the Strategic Defense Initiative is but the most recent expression. As he notes at the outset of his book, in many respects, today's debate by "scientific experts" over the viability of our contemporary progams is not unhke the debates of previous generations of experts who sought to promote systems of defense that were considered "state of the %I"' in their day.

In Fbrtres America Mr. Clary gives the reader a concise but comprehensive look at the history of coastal fortifications and their central role in America's defense pohcies of the nineteenth century. On a technical level, he presents a detailed review of the architecture,

construction (including the procurement practices of the era), and armament of those fortifications, and he discusses their evolutmn and ultimate demise as a result of the multitude of military, technological, economic, and political changes that occurred throughout the century. As a cue study, he focuses on the military engineering progams at Hampton Roads, Virginia, an area of tremendous strategic significance, which throughout the nineteenth century became the country's major naval center and the location of Phe geateat fort ever built m the United States His work is the product of an extensive review of orignal EOUTCBS, including correspondence, reports. appropriations acts, drawmgs. and other public documents.

In conjunction with his technical analysis, Mr Clary also examines the dominant role played by the Corps of Engineers in defense planning and implementation during the golden age of coastal fortifxa tiom. Founded in 1802 along with the United State Military Academy at West Point (which f ran for sixty-five years), the Corps assimilated the Academy's most distingulshed gmduates mto its ranks and sewed as the brain center of the military establishment throughout the first haif of the nineteenth century During that penod the Corps was the principal proponent and builder of the nation's three mqor fomficatmns systems and was the leading voice in the formulation of the nation's defense policy As an imtitution, however, it became so closely tied to the fortification system of defense that it was blinded to the many changes that were driving the system into obsolescence As a result of its inability to appreciate the siwficance of. and adapt to, those changes, the Corps ultimately was forced to relinquish Its control over national defense policy to the more fleuble and forward thinking combac branches of the Army. In the end, it underwent a change m mission. assuming responsibilitb for the Army's general mditary comtmction activities-duties that prevlously had been performed by the quartermasters.

Mr, Clary concludes that, along with its engneering achievements. the Corps of Enginee~'activities during their early years left an enduring poliacal and economic legacy As part Of Its advocacy Of coastal fortification projects, it had also called for improved roads and canals. This approach struck a resonant cord with every COmmunity (and...