Types of Naval Officers Drawn from the History of the British Navy

Abstract

Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840–1914) was an American naval officer, considered one of the most important naval strategists of the nineteenth century. In 1885 he was appointed Lecturer in Naval History and Tactics at the US Naval War College, and served as President of the institution between 1886 and 1889. This book, first published in 1901, contains detailed comparative biographies of six leading British admirals from the late eighteenth century including Sir James Saumarez and Sir Edward Pellew. Mahan illustrates the marked differences in professional manner by pairing the biographies of the admirals, highlighting the contrasts between his subjects' command styles and tactics. Mahan also clearly demonstrates the marked and dramatic changes in British naval warfare during the late eighteenth century through the achievements and capabilities of the six admirals. This influential study provides fascinating insights into a key period of British naval history.