Wielding the Trident

Andrew K. Blackley is an award-winning independent scholar who holds a master’s degree in military history from Norwich University (cum laude). He has published in Naval History and the Naval War College Review. Mr. Blackley is a retired civil engineer who resides in Chardon, Ohio, with his wife, Deborah.

"In Wielding the Trident, Andrew Blackley gives us a refreshing look at one of the U.S. Navy’s great leaders. Blackley combines a fast-paced narrative with thoroughly researched details to highlight Spruance’s disciplined, methodical approach and important contributions to the Pacific War."— Trent Hone, author of Mastering the Art of War: Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and Victory in the Pacific"Naval professionals and history buffs will treasure Andrew K. Blackley’s superbly written biography of Admiral Raymond Spruance, Wielding the Trident. Mr. Blackley is well known to naval scholars for his award-winning articles on technical and operational naval history. This critical study of a key American fleet commander synthesizes earlier biographers’ work with previously unavailable primary sources and Mr. Blackley’s own razor-sharp analysis. The result is an immensely enjoyable and informative read."— Peter F. Owen, author of Fighting Falcons: The Campaigns of VMF-221 in the Pacific"Blackley’s Wielding the Trident is a long-overdue fresh look at ADM Raymond Spruance, an oft-maligned and frequently forgotten architect of the U.S. central Pacific campaign of World War II. Considered a brilliant thinker by his peers, Spruance was simultaneously reserved and extremely private—characteristics that did little to advance his public reputation. Yet in his behavior, tactical commands, staff work, and studies, Spruance was nothing less than a model modern-day joint commander, and this book is therefore a valuable lesson in leadership.”— Tyler A. Pitrof, author of Too Far on a Whim: The Limits of High-Steam Propulsion in the U.S. Navy"Admiral Raymond A. Spruance emerges from the depths of U.S. Naval history within Andrew Blackley’s biography, Wielding the Trident. Looking beyond familiar tales of the Second World War, Blackley deftly explores the historiography to highlight the transcendent leadership qualities which also inspired Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King’s characterization of Spruance, the 'best flag officer in the Navy in every way.' "— David Kohnen, author of King’s Navy: Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King and the Rise of American Sea Power, 1897–1947“Andrew Blackley’s engaging and most readable biography builds on this material [The Quiet Warrior] and benefits from the subsequent release of more archival material, as well as the publication of biographies and memoirs of men who interacted with Spruance.”— Australian Naval Institute“Wielding the Trident performs an important service not only to naval history, but to our understanding of leadership in an age of uncertainty. Spruance’s war is over. His lessons are not.” — The Naval Review