Prologue : naval battles and history

Wooden warships and the western frontier : the Battle of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813

Iron, steam, and national union : the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862

Armored cruisers and empire : the Battle of Manila Bay, May 1, 1898

Naval aviation and world war : the Battle of Midway, June 4, 1942

Missile warfare and the American imperium : Operation Praying Mantis, the Persian Gulf, April 18, 1988

Epilogue : naval battles and the 21st century.