Learning War
The Evolution of Fighting Doctrine in the U.S. Navy, 1898-1945
Published on 15. June 2018
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-1-68247-293-4 (ISBN)
Description
Learning War examines the U.S. Navy's doctrinal development from 1898-1945 and explains why the Navy in that era was so successful as an organization at fostering innovation. A revolutionary study of one of history's greatest success stories, this book draws profoundly important conclusions that give new insight, not only into how the Navy succeeded in becoming the best naval force in the world, but also into how modern organizations can exploit today's rapid technological and social changes in their pursuit of success.Trent Hone argues that the Navy created a sophisticated learning system in the early years of the twentieth century that led to repeated innovations in the development of surface warfare tactics and doctrine. The conditions that allowed these innovations to emerge are analyzed through a consideration of the Navy as a complex adaptive system. Learning War is the first major work to apply this complex learning approach to military history. This approach permits a richer understanding of the mechanisms that enable human organizations to evolve, innovate, and learn, and it offers new insights into the history of the United States Navy.
Reviews / Votes
"A good read ... [and] a technical journey into complexity science!" - The NAVY Magazine"Hone's methodology sets a standard worth replicating for future doctrinal studies that could look at anti-air or anti-submarine warfare. Given the swarth of history covered and Hone's conclusion that the United States Navy was ahead of its time in its ability to absorb knowledge and put critical lessons learned to practical use, Learning War should be considered for classroom use at academic institutions that offer coursework on naval warfare." - Naval Historical Foundation
""This is an important study that dramatically advances our understanding of innovation and the importance of non-technological factors, particularly the development of learning systems, in successful innovation. It will be of use to scholars of both innovation and the U.S. Navy, as well as those with a general interest in those subjects. It offers a valuable case study in successful, long-term innovation in a complex, bureaucratic setting." - Strategy Bridge
"Trent Hone's Learning War is not only an assessment of the time of Evolution of Fighting Doctrine in the U.S, Navy between 1898 - 1945, but also a good source for Relearning the ways of fighting naval wars in the 21th century." - Deutsches Maritimes Kompetenz Netz
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Annopolis
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
16 b-w photos, 1 b-w illustration, 2 maps
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Weight
734 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-68247-293-4 (9781682472934)
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
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2018
Naval Institute Press
€34.49
Available for download
Person
Trent Hone is an authority on the U.S. Navy of the early twentieth century and a leader in the application of complexity science to organizational design. He studied religion and archaeology at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. He works as a consultant in Arlington, VA, helping a variety of organizations improve their processes and techniques. He lives with his family in Fairfax City, VA. Mr. Hone writes and speaks about tactical doctrine, organizational learning, and complexity. His talents areuniquely suited to integrate the history of the Navy's doctrinal development with modern management theories, generating new insights relevant to both disciplines.