The greatest books of all time written by the author alfred thayer mahan. What was the name of the naval officer and his 1890 book. Mahans scholarly effort, in preparation for a teaching assignment at the naval war. He stressed the interdependence of the military and commercial control of the sea and asserted that the control of seaborne commerce can determine the outcome of wars. A little over a century, a long, miserable century later, we might add to its title in the style mahan himself would have recognized. The author, alfred thayer mahan, was a united states naval officer and the son of the esteemed west point professor dennis hart mahan. In the influence of sea power upon history, alfred thayer mahan studied the rise and fall of naval powers. The influence of seapower on defeat and victory had been neglected by historians, and captain mahan wrote this book in order to point out its high importance. This highly influential volume, first published in 1890, contains mahans analysis and discussions of the factors leading to britains naval domination in the eighteenth century, with strategic and tactical recommendations based on these factors. Mahans classic treatise on naval warfare and how its effective deployment. Considered the most influential book in naval strategy, it discusses necessary factors required for achieving naval supremacy. War, once declared, must be waged offensively, aggressively, wrote the sage of american navalists, alfred mahan, in his seminal 1890 book, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783.
His book the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 1890 won. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 work by mahan. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 is an influential treatise on naval warfare written in 1890 by alfred thayer mahan. Democracies are good at war for many of the same reasons they are good at capitalism and at the enhancement of the human spirit. The naval officer in question is alfred thayer mahan 18401914 who, in 1890, published the results of his extensive study of history, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. Alfred thayer mahan september 27, 1840 december 1, 1914 was a united states naval officer and historian, whom john keegan called the. Achievements alfred mahan is regarded as one of the most influential naval strategists of the nineteenth century. Mahan, the influence of sea power upon history d josiah strong. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, by. Alfred thayer mahan 18401914 was an american naval officer, considered one of the most important naval strategists of the nineteenth century. In this book he argued for the paramount importance of.
A naval officer and strategist whose 1890 book, the influence of sea power upon history. In 1890, us navy captain alfred thayer mahan wrote a landmark book entitled, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. It was his second book, the influence of sea power upon history 16601783 1890, however, that brought him national and international fame. He concluded that supremacy at sea was essential for a nations political and commercial success.
Alfred thayer mahan 18401914 influence of seapower upon history, the, an historical study by captain a. The was transferred to ellen lyle mahan in 1918 which eventually fell to the publisher who has published twelve editions of this book. Alfred thayer mahan 18401914 find a grave memorial. Mahans lecture notes become the basis for his book, the influence of sea power upon history, published in 1890. Mahan formulated his concept of sea power while reading a history book in lima, peru. Alfred thayer mahan biography facts, childhood, family.
In 1890, mahan published one of the most important books of the age, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 and the influence of sea power upon the french revolution and empire, 17931812. In 1890, a book was published that would forever change the way naval strategy was orchestrated. Cooperation of the united states with the asian and african peoples c. In 1885 he was appointed lecturer in naval history and tactics at the us naval war college, and became president of the institution between 18861889. The book carried the grand title the influence of sea power upon history 16601783 and its author was a shy united states naval officerturned war college professor named alfred thayer mahan. Several ships, including the uss mahan, were named in his honor. This edition includes major parts of two books by renowned naval historian alfred thayer mahan, along with an introduction by antony preston. He is perhaps best known as the author of the 1890 book the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, which advocated a navy of overwhelming force and is.
In the forward to his book, mahan set forth his purpose to examine the general history of europe and america with particular reference to the effect. About the author 1890 alfred thayer mahan was born on september 27, 1840 at west point, new york, where his father was a professor of civil and military engineering at the u. In 1890 mahan published his college lectures as the influence of sea power upon. Book, a collection of essays looking at naval history, mostly at the effect of the. In his book the influence of sea power upon history 1890. His most significant impact on history comes from his theories on naval power, especially those explained in his first two books. Mahans classic treatise on naval warfare and how its effective deployment changed the course of history. The younger mahan had seen combat during the civil war before being appointed a lecturer at the us naval academy at annapolis.
In 1890, naval expert alfred thayer mahan authored a wellregarded and timeless book, the influence of sea power upon history which outlined the influential history and perpetual importance of. Navy captain alfred thayer mahan wrote the influence of sea power upon history in 1890. Alfred thayer mahan is best known for his 1890 book, the influence of sea power upon history. In 1890 alfred thayer mahan published a book that transformed naval theoryand unleashed the worlds great fleets. He graduated from the naval academy in 1859 and embarked on a nearly 40year naval career seeing duty in the south atlantic and gulf of mexico. The influence of sea power upon history 1890 alfred. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 by.
Alfred thayer mahan, published the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 in 1890. It details the role of sea power throughout history and discusses the various factors needed to support a strong navy. The influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 work. In 1890, captain alfred thayer mahan, a lecturer in naval history and the president of the united states naval war college, published the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, a revolutionary analysis of the importance of naval power as a factor in the rise of the british empire. In 1890 mahan published his college lectures as the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783. In 1890, mahan published one of the most important books of the age, the influence of. Alfred thayer mahan, published the influence of sea power upon history. The geopolitical vision of alfred thayer mahan the diplomat. The book s first was in 1890 by alfred thayer mahan. The book had great impact on navies around the world, and its. This highly influential volume, first published in 1890, contains mahan s analysis and discussions of the factors leading to britains naval domination in the eighteenth century, with strategic and tactical recommendations based on these factors. Senator henry cabot lodge of massachusetts and other mahan disciples used his arguments to lobby congress for the battleship act of 1890 and an expansionist foreign policy. Mahans writings and lectures greatly influenced theodore roosevelt, henry cabot lodge, and other world leaders, including german emperor wilhelm ii, shaping global policy based on. Mahan was a naval officer and historian whose writings were avidly studied in these.
Alfred thayer mahan 18401914 was an american naval officer and lecturer. An expansion of the american empire in asia and africa. In the book, the influence of sea power upon history, mahan claimed that countries with sea power were the great nations of history. He wrote twenty books during his lifetime including the influence of sea power upon. Alfred thayer mahan was influential in helping to buildup naval defenses before world war i. Alfred thayer mahan, the influence of sea power upon history. In 1890 he begins to publish the results of his research, beginning with a book with a rather bulky but selfexplanatory title. The enemy must not be fended off, but smitten down. His book the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 1890 won immediate recognition, especially in europe, and with its successor, the influence of sea power upon. In this book he argued for the paramount importance of sea power in national. Captain alfred thayer mahans book of 1890, the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, argued that control of the sea was the key to world dominance. He emphasized the importance of sea power and was inspirational in establishing navies around the world. Mahan in his book the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783, published in 1890, was eagerly accepted by the united states, great britain, germany, and other modern industrial states in the decades before world war i. It details the role of sea power during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and discusses the various factors needed to support and achieve sea power, with emphasis on having the largest and most powerful fleet.
Price, seapower comes of age b theodore roosevelt, the history of the united states navy c alfred t. His book the influence of sea power upon history, 16601783 1890 won immediate recognition, especially in europe, and with its successor, the influence of sea power upon the french. It details the role of sea power during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and discussed the various factors needed to support and achieve sea power, with emphasis on having the largest and most powerful fleet. Mahan also believed that america should at least acquire defensive bases in the caribbean and the pacific and take. Influence of sea power upon history 16601783 abridged and influence of sea power upon the french revolution 17931812 excerpts capt. Alfred thayer mahan september 27, 1840 december 1, 1914 was a united states naval officer and historian, whom john keegan called the most important american strategist of the nineteenth century. This masterfully crafted ebook is a faithful and unabridged presentation of the. What was the name of the naval officer and his 1890 book that argued that no nation could prosper without a large fleet of ships engaged in international trade, protected by a powerful navy operating overseas bases. Alfred thayer mahan, american naval officer and historian who was a highly influential exponent of sea power in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A graduate of the united states naval academy at annapolis, maryland, he served as a union officer during the civil war.
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