Commanders at sea struggle not only with the unpredictability of natural elements, but also with a shroud of uncertainty often referred to as the "fog of war." Over the centuries most admirals yielded to the natural temptation to find in new technologies a means to assert centralized control over their forces. But other commanders have recognized the fog for what it is: a constant level of uncertainty resistant to mere technological solution.
In this grand history of naval warfare, Michael Palmer observes five centuries of dramatic encounters under sail and steam. From reliance on signal flags in the seventeenth century to satellite communications in the twenty-first, admirals looked to the next advance in technology as the one that would allow them to control their forces. But while abilities to communicate improved, Palmer shows how other technologies simultaneously shrank admirals' windows of decision. The result was simple, if not obvious: naval commanders have never had sufficient means or time to direct subordinates in battle.
Successful commanders as distant as Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) and Arleigh Burke (1901-1996) accepted this reality. They sought solutions to the dilemmas of command in the personal indoctrination of subordinates through discussion, comradeship, and displays of trust and confidence. Such leaders created a commonality of vision and fostered a high degree of individual initiative. Their decentralized approach to command resulted in a resiliency that so often provided the key to success in battle.
Palmer's exciting and enlightening history reveals the myriad efforts of naval commanders to navigate the fog of war.
Michael A. Palmer is Professor of History, East Carolina University.
Table of Contents
List of Battle Maps
Prologue: A Regular Confusion
1. Land Warfare Afloat: Before 1650
2. The Anglo-Dutch Wars
3. At the Dawn of the Enlightenment
4. The Conundrum of the Line Ahead
5. The Advent of Numerary Signaling Systems
6. The Zenith of the Age of Fighting Sail
7. The Age of Steam through the Great War
8. From 1918 through the Second World War
9. The Cold War and Beyond
Conclusion: The Crucial Paradox of Knowledge
Notes
Acknowledgments
Index
What People are Saying About This
Ronald Spector
Command at Sea is a lucid and engaging book which represents a much-needed new approach to the history of naval warfare. Michael Palmer's work makes interesting reading for anyone and essential reading for the professional. — Ronald Spector, author of At War at Sea: Sailors and Naval Warfare in the Twentieth Century
John Lehman
Naval culture is very different from military culture. The difference is the result of four centuries of autonomy of command at sea. Michael Palmer explains this brilliantly. — John Lehman, Former Secretary of the Navy, 1981-1987
Martin van Creveld
Palmer has produced what seems to be the only work ever specifically devoted to the problems of command a sea. A highly original volume, fascinating from beginning to end. — Martin van Creveld, author of Command in War
Craig L. Symonds
In this sweeping tour de force, Michael Palmer illustrates the impact that signaling systems had on command decision making during four centuries of naval combat. Citing a score of pivotal naval engagements from Kentish Knock in 1652 to Desert Storm in 1991, Palmer shows dramatically how success at sea depended on effective communication, whatever the dominant technology. — Craig L. Symonds, U.S. Naval Academy
