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Thomas Joshua Cutler (born August 30, 1947) is a retired United States naval officer, naval historian, author, and editor. He is "one of the most prolific authors in the history of the
Naval Institute Press The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...
in terms of sold books."


Family, early life, and education

The son of Torrence Manasseh and Helen Margaret (Gans) Cutler, Thomas J. Cutler was born in
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...
on August 30, 1947. He graduated from
Towson State University Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University is a part of the University System of Maryland. Since its founding, ...
with a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree in 1969 and later earned a
Master of Arts degree A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
at
Norwich University Norwich University is a private university in Northfield, Vermont, United States. The university was founded in 1819 as the "American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy". It is the oldest of six senior military college, senior militar ...
in 1988. He married Deborah Walsh Welch Cutler in 1971 and the couple had two children.''Marquis Who's Who in the East'' online


Naval career and education

Cutler enlisted in the United States Navy in 1965 and rose to become a
Gunner's Mate The United States Navy and United States Coast Guard occupational rating of gunner's mate (GM) is a designation given by the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) to enlisted sailors who either satisfactorily complete initial Gunner's Mate "A" sch ...
Second Class. Commissioned an
ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...
in 1969, he rose through the officer grades until he was commissioned a lieutenant commander in 1979 remaining on active duty until 1990. His active duty included an in-country combat tour in Vietnam during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, command of small craft, service in two aircraft carriers, three destroyers, and a guided-missile cruiser. While at the
United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...
, serving between 1981 and 1990, where he was senior lecturer and Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Seamanship and Navigation Department, and later, Associate Chairman of the History Department, he was awarded the William P. Clements Award for Excellence in Education (military teacher of the year).


Civilian career

Cutler founded and served as the first Director of the Walbrook Maritime Academy in Baltimore, also commanding the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps unit there. In 1981, he became an associate editor of the
United States Naval Institute The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds s ...
and rose to become the Institute's Director of Professional Publishing and currently holds the Gordon England Chair of Professional Naval Literature.


Awards

*William P. Clements Award for Excellence in Education, United States Naval Academy military teacher of the year. * Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement, 1989 * U.S. Naval Institute Press Author of the Year, 2004 * U.S. Maritime Literature Award, 2006 * Commodore Dudley W. Knox Naval History Lifetime Achievement Award, 2015 * Naval War College Distinguished Fleet Professor Award, 2019


Publications

* ''Brown Water, Black Berets: Coastal & Riverine Warfare in Vietnam'' (Annapolis:
United States Naval Institute The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds s ...
, 1989). . *''The U.S. Naval Academy: An Illustrated History,'' by Jack Sweetman, 2nd edition, revised by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 1995) * ''The Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 23–26, 1944'' (New York: HarperCollins, 1994). ; (Annapolis:
United States Naval Institute The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds s ...
, 2001). . *''Dutton's Nautical Navigation'', 15th edition, (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2004) *''Dictionary of Naval Abbreviations'' compiled and edited by Deborah W. Cutler and Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2005) *''Dictionary of Naval Terms'' 6th edition, compiled and edited by Deborah W. Cutler and Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2005) * ''A Sailor's History of the U.S. Navy'' (Annapolis:
United States Naval Institute The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds s ...
, 2005). . *''NavCivGuide: A Handbook for Civilians in the U.S. Navy'' (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2008) *''
The Bluejacket's Manual ''The Bluejacket's Manual'' is the basic handbook for United States Navy personnel. First issued in 1902 to teach recruits about naval procedures and life and offer a reference for active sailors, it has become the "bible" for Navy personnel, p ...
'' 22nd, 23rd (Centennial) (2002), 24th (2009), and 25th editions. (Annapolis:
United States Naval Institute The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds s ...
). . *''The Citizen's Guide to the U.S. Navy'' (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2012) *''The U.S. Naval Institute on Naval Strategy,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2015) *''The U.S. Naval Institute on Naval Leadership,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2015) *''The U.S. Naval Institute on Naval Command,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2016) *''The Parent's Guide to the U.S. Navy,'' (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2017) *''The U.S. Naval Academy: The History,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2015) *''The U.S. Naval Academy: The Challenges,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2016) *''Women in the Navy: The History,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2015) *''Women in the Navy: The Challenges,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2015) *''The U.S. Navy Reserve,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2015) *''The Panama Canal,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2016) *''The United States Coast Guard,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2017) *''Vietnam: Coastal and Riverine Warfare,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2016) *''Vietnam: A Retrospective,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2016) *''The Marine Corps at War,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2016) *''Marine Corps Aviation,'' edited by Thomas J. Cutler (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2016) *''The Battle of Leyte Gulf at 75: A Retrospective (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 2019) Some of Cutler's works have been selections of the
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,
Military Book Club Book of the Month (founded 1926) is a United States subscription-based e-commerce service that offers a selection of five to seven new hardcover books each month to its members. Books are selected and endorsed by a panel of judges, and members ch ...
, and
Book of the Month Club Book of the Month (founded 1926) is a United States subscription-based e-commerce service that offers a selection of five to seven new hardcover books each month to its members. Books are selected and endorsed by a panel of judges, and members ch ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cutler, Thomas J. Living people 1947 births Writers from Baltimore United States Navy officers American naval historians Towson University alumni Norwich University alumni United States Naval Academy faculty American male non-fiction writers 20th-century American historians 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American historians United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War Historians from Maryland