Inventing Grand Strategy and Teaching Command

Between 1890 and 1913, Captain Alfred Thayer Mathan published a series of books on naval warfare in the age of the sail, which established his reputation as one of the founders of modern strategic history. This text argues that Mahan's two principle arguments have been misunderstood ever since. Instead of representing Mahan as an advocate of naval supremacy, it shows him asserting that only a multinational naval consortium could defend international trade. Instead of presenting Mahan as a man who adhered to strategic principles, the book shows that he stressed the importance of an officer's judgement and character, formed by the study of history.