Author Marvin Barrash will be discussing his naval history book, U.S.S. Cyclops, which is the only comprehensive history of the collier that disappeared without a trace in 1918. His great uncle was a member of the crew and one of the 309 souls who perished.  His tenacious research of all existing Cyclops’ logs and documentation, over a thirteen-year period, resulted in substantial narrative in lay terms, and a detailed finding aid for all source documentation.

     Although U.S.S. CYCLOPS contained nearly 800 pages, there was much more history to convey. Mr.  Barrash’s prequel volume, Murder on the Abarenda, published in 2016, provided the vehicle by which he could expand on some of the events surrounding the naval officer who commanded the collier Abarenda and later, the collier Cyclops.

     Mr. Barrash has appeared on-camera as the subject matter expert concerning the U.S.S. Cyclops in two television documentaries produced for the National Geographic Channel.  He continues his research of the collier Cyclops with the hope that the ship’s remains will be located and studied, but not salvaged.

     A life member of both the U.S. Naval Institute and the Naval Historical Foundation, Mr. Barrash provided many years of volunteer service with the Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington Navy Yard.  He produced finding aids for many artifacts and documents, aided in preservation of historical materials, and researched responses to historical inquiries.

     Mr. Barrash has been in the employ of the U.S. Department of Defense, in various capacities, since the 1970s.  He currently resides, with his wife and son, in Maryland.