Yates Stirling

Born in 1872, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1892 and went on to a long Navy career that stretched from the years before the Spanish–American War into the 1930s. He rose to the rank of rear admiral and became known as a decorated but sometimes controversial figure.

As a writer, he is best remembered for Sea Duty: The Memoirs of a Fighting Admiral, a firsthand account that draws on his many years in uniform. Because he wrote from direct experience, his work offers readers a personal view of naval service, command, and the culture of the U.S. Navy in an era of major change.

He died in 1948. For listeners interested in military history, memoir, and the voices of officers who lived through the rise of modern American sea power, his writing has lasting appeal.