As the end of the year draws close, the Naval Institute Press once again has put its books on sale. It's a better sale than last year, with everything not on clearance getting 50% off if you use the code HOLIDAY at checkout, although they haven't brought back free shipping. The vast majority of the stuff I use for Naval Gazing comes from them, so this is without a doubt the best time to build out your naval library.
Looking first over the new releases, there's the spring and fall catalogs, as well as the spring 2026 section. Unfortunately, it is here that USNI's strange operational decisions and/or ongoing IT woes cause problems, as several of the most interesting new releases, including the vital Seaforth World Naval Review 2026, French Aircraft Carriers 1910-2000, Japanese Aircraft Carriers 1920-1945 and Friedman's new The British Aircraft Carrier in Two World Wars are not in those catalogs. Ones that are in the catalog and are worth checking out include Friedman's new book on Cold War ASW (I already have a copy, and it's quite good), Paul Stillwell's book on New Jersey, Stephen McLaughin's new book on Tsarist Cruisers and the second volume of Friedman's new work on British carriers.
There's also a lot of good stuff from previous years available. Starting as usual with Friedman, there's the Illustrated Design History series, which form the basis for a lot of my work, as well as British Cruisers of the 20th century, US Navy Attack Aircraft, Fighting the Great War at Sea, the best technological and operational overview of the naval side of WWI I am aware of, and the Fifty Year War, a truly excellent history of the Cold War. The last two are on the sale rack, which means there's a decent chance they won't be available for long, so get them now.
Nor is Friedman the only design-focused author whose work you can pick up cheaply. There's Stephen McLaughlin's excellent Russian and Soviet Battleships, the only book that fully matches Friedman's design books, and D.K. Brown's Before the Ironclad, Atlantic Escorts and Rebuilding the Royal Navy, all the work of a naval architect who brings a unique view of the subject. Other works worth pointing out include Aircraft of the Royal Navy since 1908, which gives details on everything the RN has operated, Two Navies Divided, a good single-volume overview of the USN and RN in WWII, and the 14-volume set of Samuel Eliot Morison's History of US Naval Operations in World War II. For those whose interests are more recent, there's China As A 21st Century Naval Power, a deep look at the PLAN's development, and past volumes of Seaforth World Naval Review, as there's substantial new content each year. I will also mostly endorse Drachinifel's reading list, although there are a few on there I don't have or didn't particularly like.
It's also worth checking out the "Clear the Decks" sale section, which has a ton of great stuff, much for $10-20. There isn't anything amazing this year (except Fifty-Year War), but competent options include The World of the Battleship, British Battleships In World War One, Strike Warfare in the 21st Century and Battle Line, a history of the interwar USN.
Comments
I will point out that, in the specific case of Two Navies Divided, you can get it on Amazon for $20.56 (with free shipping if you have Prime). I just checked and the USNI bookstore gives you either the member or the coupon discount - not both.
That said, I’ll probably be getting Seaforth and Fifty-Year War this year. In the past, I’ve gotten Morison, the illustrated hardcover of “The Big E”, and Friedman’s Illustrated Design Series, among others.
No, it's one discount or the other, although the year when they accidentally stacked was fun. That said, their IT is as messy as ever, and they are apparently giving discounts on Clear the Decks stuff this year.
And I can't guarantee that the books aren't cheaper elsewhere. Running all that down would be a massive pain. But USNI is usually pretty competitive, and occasionally you get a really good deal, like on Fifty Year War right now.