Potomac Books

Potomac Books, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press (@UnivNebPress). Publishing books on Military History & Current and Political Affairs.

[Potomac Books @PotomacBooks]

“The story of the Tennis Cabinet has largely been untold until now—but it clearly had an impact on the development of our Republic," writes Tevi Troy for the @WSJ. https://t.co/LiIgcb7H7X

[reason @reason]

"Sen. Henry Clay had set himself the none-too-modest goal of solving the seemingly intractable problem of American slavery once and for all." An excerpt from @damonroot's brand-new book, "Emancipation War" out today from @UnivNebPress: https://t.co/okBSvxKQcZ

[Civil War Books & Authors @aw_cwba]

Booknotes: "Emancipation War: The Fall of Slavery and the Coming of the Thirteenth Amendment" https://t.co/iQFyTWo8ry @PotomacBooks

[Dr. Stephen Phillips @eodauthor]

The U.S. Navy sunk more Iranian minelaying vessels before they could sow the “weapons that wait” and a Royal Navy mine warfare unit is heading to the Strait of Hormuz aboard HMS Lyme Bay to conduct clearance operations.
To learn more about mine warfare during the Tanker War and Operation Earnest Will, read “A Poisoned Chalice: The U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, 1987-1988” published by @PotomacBooks. Enter code 6AS26 on check out for 40%.

https://t.co/gsWo1mJjap

[Katya Cengel @kcengel]

Very glad @UnivNebPress asked me to read this memoir by Natalie Oceanheart on the war in Ukraine. Also glad I met @bowlga and @YelenaFurman at a reading on post Soviet writers thanks to @SashaVasilyuk Now you can read an interview with Natalie here https://t.co/hpvHOup4uK

[Dr. Stephen Phillips @eodauthor]

Operation Earnest Will is the precursor to all our modern conflict. The U.S. Navy’s presence led to a stalemated conclusion of the Tanker War, and thus the Iran-Iraq War. Iraqi did not achieve its aims, invaded Kuwait, leading to Desert Shield, Storm, and all other operations through Operation Iraqi Freedom. Add to this, increased presence of Americans on the Saudi peninsula was a factor in forming Al Qaeda, which attacked our nation on 9/11, resulting in the Global War on Terrorism.

To learn more about Operation Earnest Will, the last time we fought Iran in the Persian Gulf, read “A Poisoned Chalice: The U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, 1987-1988.” Published by @PotomacBooks order directly with code 6AS26 for 40% off.

[Potomac Books @PotomacBooks]

Fred Minnick, author of WHISKEY WOMEN, was featured in NPR! https://t.co/SKJZGuhlaw

[Potomac Books @PotomacBooks]

From the Desk of Harvey Solomon: My Indiana Jones Moment

Solomon is author of SUCH SPLENDID PRISONS (Potomac Books, 2020) which recounts the roundup, captivity, and repatriation of Axis diplomats who were stranded after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. https://t.co/Wv82wDWo6Z

[Dr. Stephen Phillips @eodauthor]

On May 17, 1987, an Iraqi Air Force jet, in a case of misidentification, attacked USS Starkwith two Exocet missiles. Thirty-seven American Sailors made the ultimate sacrifice. Though not officially part of Operation Earnest Will, it had significant impact on all who served in the Persian Gulf thereafter.
To learn more about Operation Earnest Will, the last time we fought Iran in the Persian Gulf, and the precursor to our nation’s war in the region thereafter, read “A Poisoned Chalice: The U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, 1987-1988.” Published by @PotomacBooks, order directly with code 6AS26 for 40% off.

[Potomac Books @PotomacBooks]

Leslie Stainton, author of SCARLETT, discusses slavery's enduring legacy, including the complicated history of her own enslaving Georgia ancestors on American History TV (@cspan). https://t.co/Z9VxtAo1Fq

[Potomac Books @PotomacBooks]

Khatima Emami, a former student of Marzia Babakarkhail, shares her first encounter with the woman who empowered her to pursue an education. https://t.co/TYoK5koku7

[Potomac Books @PotomacBooks]

THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND THE TENNIS CABINET decenters the president in the history of Theodore Roosevelt’s administration, exploring the informal advisers who shaped the administration’s domestic and foreign policies. Save 40%: https://t.co/RKTtIHeNuM

[Potomac Books @PotomacBooks]

MARZIA takes readers on a heart-pounding journey through the stark realities of life under Taliban rule following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. https://t.co/hXV0QjPgo2

[Dr. Stephen Phillips @eodauthor]

In Preble Hall episode 259 Dr. John Sherwood interviews Dr. Stephen Phillips to discuss his book, A Poisoned Chalice: The U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, 1987-1988. The book, based on Phillips’ King’s College London dissertation is a discussion of Operation Earnest Will, the U.S. Navy’s intervention in the Iran-Iraq War at sea, commonly known as “The Tanker War.”

https://t.co/rAaI5XmkiY

[Potomac Books @PotomacBooks]

In A POISONED CHALICE, former U.S. Navy Commander Stephen P. Phillips discusses the 1987-88 Iran-Iraq War’s strategic implications and what the war teaches us about the United States’ relationship with the Middle East today. https://t.co/CExab5bv5Y

[Potomac Books @PotomacBooks]

"[FUJI FIRE] is a case study in the moral responsibility of command and the hidden dangers of peacetime service," writes Thomas C. Rust for H-Environment. https://t.co/DcfnKzdXZC

[Dr. Stephen Phillips @eodauthor]

U.S. Central Command announced this weekend that “U.S. Forces Start Mine Clearance Mission in the Strait of Hormuz.”

“USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG 121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.”

This is not the first time the U.S. Navy has faced the threat of mines in the Persian Gulf. During Operation Earnest Will in the 1980s—part of the Iran-Iraq War at sea, often called the “Tanker War”—two U.S.-flagged ships struck mines and suffered significant damage: MV Bridgeton and USS Samuel B. Roberts.

In 2019, I attended a conference focused on Operation Earnest Will, where I had the privilege of chairing a panel featuring two officers who survived those incidents. Captain Rich Vogel, USN (Ret.), was aboard MV Bridgeton when she struck a mine in July 1987. Captain Paul Rinn, USN (Ret.), commanded USS Samuel B. Roberts when it hit a mine in April 1988.

I couldn’t resist taking a photo with them. Despite their shared experience, they had never met before that event.

That moment stayed with me—and helped inspire me to turn my PhD research into a book: A Poisoned Chalice: The U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, 1987–1988. Published by @PotomacBooks it’s currently available at a 40% discount directly from the publisher. Check the code in the attached photo for details.

[Dr. Stephen Phillips @eodauthor]

Thanks to everyone who joined me today at Barnes and Noble Pasadena Crossing to discuss "A Poisoned Chalice: The U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, 1987-1988," published by @PotomacBooks. It was a fun event to meet readers and sign copies of the book.

[Potomac Books @PotomacBooks]

Excerpt: LIFE BEYOND FEAR by Natalie Oceanheart

LIFE BEYOND FEAR chronicles the harrowing journey of a Ukrainian woman and her family, forced to flee their war-torn homeland in search of safety, hope, and a new beginning. https://t.co/chAKrG09AX

[Dr. Stephen Phillips @eodauthor]

"A Poisoned Chalice: The U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, 1987-1988" published by @PotomacBooks is now available at Barnes & Noble. I'll be at Barnes & Noble (Pasadena Crossroads, Pasadena MD) on April 11 from 12-2pm to sign copies. I hope to see you there!