Publication date:
05 January 2017Length of book:
300 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442270411
The modern age of naval warfare began with the combination of steam power, iron warships, and modern artillery, which launched an intense period of international competition. Tracing naval warfare from the 1860s into the future, noted historian Jeremy Black provides a dynamic account of strategy and warfare worldwide. He focuses on the interplay of technological development, geopolitics, and resource issues to assess not only the role of leading powers but all those involved in naval conflict. Emphasizing conflict and changes since 1945 and, notably, since the end of the Cold War, the author considers possible future developments of navies, their challengers, and the geopolitics of maritime power.
The onset of steam powered and steel-clad naval vessels in the mid-19th century dramatically changed the character of naval warfare. The prolific Black (Univ. of Exeter), whose ability to write concise historical surveys is unparalleled, has written a succinct but robustly detailed narrative that superbly melds technological developments, industrial economics, and the geo-strategy of power projection, hallmarks of the modern sea power era. Most naval history focuses on the first half of the 19th century, but Black ushers in the era skillfully in his opening chapter and efficiently brings the story through the Cold War into contemporary analysis.... [A]s a wealth of information about modern naval wars, offered with Black’s usual eloquence and sprinkling of quirky but fascinating tidbits, this history is a compelling read.
Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.
Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.