From its hasty and urgent creation during the American Revolution through periods of relative neglect, the United States Navy has maintained an important role in the security of the United States, and has been involved in many of its crucial historical events. American Naval History: A Guide pays attention to diplomacy, maritime issues, aviation, geography, scientific and technological advancements, and other historical disciplines. It also has entries on the naval histories of America's closest allies and enemies. A first edition of the book was printed by University Press of America as An Annotated and Selected Bibliography of American Naval History (1988). Vast changes have occurred since that time. Titles dealing with the development of sea power in the ancient and medieval world have been omitted. Instead, the book has modernized its listings by including titles from the last years of the Reagan presidency, George Bush's presidency, and the first two years of Bill Clinton's presidency. The list of periodicals has been expanded and revised considerably. Additionally, the titles now contain useful abbreviations that detail whether the texts include maps, diagrams, illustrations, glossaries, and appendixes.