Book excerpt: The U.S. Naval Institute Chronicles series focuses on the relevance of history by exploring topics like significant battles, personalities, and service components. Tapping into the U.S. Naval Institute's robust archives, these carefully selected volumes help readers understand nuanced subjects by providing unique perspectives and some of the best contributions that have helped shape naval thinking over the many decades since the Institute's founding in 1873. Since it began in 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy has faced many challenges as it continually strives to find the right figurative balance between Athens and Sparta. This edition of Chronicles recalls many of those challenges as they appeared in Naval Institute publications for most of the Academy's existence.