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45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Abysmally published, February 7, 2008
Mahan's work is great for those studying the development of US sea power. However, NuVision has managed to take this great historical work and turn it into the worst published book I have ever seen.
It seems as though they printed out the book directly from the OCR with little or no proofing. They apparently had no interest in meeting a reader's most modest expectations. There are frequent obvious readability-compromising typos, for instance the date 1607 on page 117 should be 1667, and 'the' substituted for 'time' on the same page (this particular OCR typo occurs throughout the book). There is even an inexcusable typo in a chapter title - BATTLE OP MALAGA. The missing periods are particularly annoying. There are no chapter titles at the top of the pages making it difficult to see where chapters begin and end, there is a detailed table of contents (not shown in the Amazon preview) that is not formatted at all and virtually useless, and quoted passages are not even indented. All paragraphs are separated by a full blank line throughout the book with no variation, thus there are no breaks mid-chapter. It is amazing how tedious reading becomes due to this little defect. Even the title on the binding of the book does not have enough contrast so is difficult to read. There is no index.
There was no care given to making this book, no pride in the work. Nobody read through it to proof it. I have never seen anything like it.
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Navy Book, Good History book in general, July 31, 2000
Mahan uses some detail and technical language to demonstrate particular naval engagements from 1660-1783, but apart from being just a lecturer on naval warfare and an analyst on tactics, he demonstrates how the use of the general navies, or the strategy of using a strong navy to protect the fleet of an aggressive merchant marine, is the single most important root cause of advancing economic and therefore military prosperity in any nation. Using Great Britain as his main example, he also details the Dutch fleets to demonstrate their reason for becoming a European superpower in their own right. Later he identifies the presence of the French navy, apart from any material success in its engagements, as one of the determining reasons why America had a chance to win its independence. Finally, as he hints of the supreme commercial and military importance of the proposed (Panama) canal, against the declining state of the American navy and the paltry condition of its merchant fleet, he urges that America's prosperity if not survival depends on the powerful revival of its sea power. An excellent read, a great general history book, and very lucid explanations, easy for the layman. If you enjoy history you'll enjoy this.
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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
von Clausewitz of the Sea, June 3, 2002
In this book, U.S. Navy Captain Alfred T. Mahan presents what he considers the six key elements of sea power and shows the impact their application or misapplication has had on history. Citing numerous historical examples, he shows how nations have prospered or suffered through use or misuse of their naval assets. His book is rightfully considered essential reading for any historian of naval warfare. However, its impact does not stop there. Mahan shows how nations thrived or declined during the 17th and 18th centuries through prudent or imprudent application of naval power. He contends France, Holland, Spain, et al. prospered until they allowed their naval power to dissipate. Meanwhile, Britain became mistress of the seas. British colonies provided raw materials for her industries, while her armed fleet insured uninterrupted commerce. He equates Britain's loss of her American colonies with inappropriate deployment of her fleet, contrasted with France's skilled strategic use of her own. This section will interest readers of American history schooled only on Washington's land campaign at Yorktown. Mahan's book has had a tremendous impact on history. It unquestionably shaped the imperialistic policies of pre-World War I and pre-World War II Germany and Japan respectively. Students trying to ascertain why leaders of those nations acted as they did should read this work. The elements of sea power are the same today as in 1900 when this book was first published. With a world economy as interdependent as today's, Mahan's principles are as valid as they were in the 1600's and 1700's, perhaps even more so. German war philosopher, Carl von Clausewitz's classic treatise, "On War," is considered a must read for every Army officer. Mahan's work is to the sea-battle as von Clausewitz's is to the land. Historians, military strategists, and architects of America's foreign, economic and national security policies should read this important work to gain insights on the necessity of protecting vital and vulnerable sea lines of communications worldwide.
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