Planning for War at Sea: 400 Years of Great Power Competition

How have navies contemplated possible enemies? How did they learn, or fail to learn, once operations began? How does this analysis inform today’s planning for future conflict? These questions guide the noted historians and naval strategists who contributed to Planning for War at Sea. A central theme is the regular failure of navies’ best—laid plans.

Covering four centuries of naval warfare, the chapters illustrate the challenges all navies faced when considering possible enemies. Even duri...