
A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy
James R. Holmes(Author)
Naval Institute Press
Published on 2. April 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
200 pages
978-1-68247-381-8 (ISBN)
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Description
A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy is a deliberately compact introductory work aimed at junior seafarers, those who make decisions affecting the sea services, and those who educate seafarers and decision-makers. It introduces readers to the main theoretical ideas that shape how statesmen and commanders make and execute maritime strategy in times of peace and war.
Following in the spirit of Bernard Brodie's Layman's Guide to Naval Strategy, a World War II-era book whose Title makes its purpose plain, it will be a companion volume to such works as Geoffrey Till's Seapower and Wayne Hughes's Fleet Tactics and Coastal Combat, the classic treatise that explains how to handle navies in fleet actions. It takes the mystery out of maritime strategy, which should not be an arcane art for practitioners or policy-makers, and will help the next generation think about strategy.
Following in the spirit of Bernard Brodie's Layman's Guide to Naval Strategy, a World War II-era book whose Title makes its purpose plain, it will be a companion volume to such works as Geoffrey Till's Seapower and Wayne Hughes's Fleet Tactics and Coastal Combat, the classic treatise that explains how to handle navies in fleet actions. It takes the mystery out of maritime strategy, which should not be an arcane art for practitioners or policy-makers, and will help the next generation think about strategy.
Reviews / Votes
This book is much more than the 'good first word about maritime strategy' that it says it is. Written in an accessible and readable way, it distills the thoughts of Mahan and Corbett and other key commentators to show how nations use power at sea to achieve their policy objectives." - Geoffrey Till, Director of the Corbett Center for Maritime Policy and author of the Seapower series"Deep into the first chapter of this brilliant strategic primer, Professor Holmes says, 'Alfred Thayer Mahan is smiling down from heaven.' So true--because this slender volume gathers the scoop about strategy into a highly readable format. This is a fabulous volume in the library of any naval officer or global sailor seeing to understand the role of the oceans in our turbulent world." - Adm. James Stavridis, USN, Supreme Allied Commander at NATO (2009-2013), Dean Emeritus, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Tufts University (Dean 2013-2018)
"In his concise, jargon-free book Professor Holmes has reduced the elements of maritime strategies to their essence. Holmes brings new life to the writings of Mahan, Corbett and other authors of naval classics by showing why our maritime nation must continue to exercise a maritime strategy in peace and war if we are to sustain our values in the future." - Capt. Wayne Hughes, Jr., USN (Ret.), Dean Emeritus, Naval Postgraduate School and author of the landmark Fleet Tactics series
"Professor Jim Holmes is one of the leading naval strategists around today, and this lively, informative and well-written volume stands testament to this fact. It is the strategic bookend to Wayne Hughes' classic Fleet Tactics, and a must read for any student of maritime power." - Robert Work, former Deputy Secretary of Defense and Undersecretary of the Navy
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Annopolis
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 127 mm
Weight
222 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-68247-381-8 (9781682473818)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions

James R. Holmes
A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy
Book
06/2025
Naval Institute Press
€36.20
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Additional editions

James Holmes
A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy
E-Book
12/2019
Naval Institute Press
€26.49
Available for download
Person
James R. Holmes is J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College and a former U.S. Navy engineering and gunnery officer. He formerly served on the faculty of the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs.