A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy

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