I would appreciate it very much if someone would recommend a good introductory or survey book on U.S. Naval history. I'm looking for something that would give me an overview of U.S. Naval history but with a component on Naval historiography or any significant theories and approaches. Thank you!
Although it is getting a bit long in the tooth, Kenneth Hagen's This People's Navy: The Making of American Sea Power is a good introductory survey of the USN. Hagen's survey takes the Mahanian paradigm to task at points throughout the book, so it is engaging somewhat with naval historiography.