Maritime powers dominate the planet, from the British empire of the 19th century, to the American post-World War II domination of global affairs. To a large degree their control of the globe is based on control of the seas. This book seeks to examine the strengths and weaknesses of maritime power, including specific chapters on mutiny, blockades, coalitions, piracy, expeditionary warfare, commerce raiding, and soft power operations, but with larger discussion of such sea power characteristics as sea control, sea denial, and the competition between land powers and sea powers. The conclusions will discuss how many other countries, including Russia during the Cold War and the PRC today, have or are seeking to use sea power to claim regional and then eventually global hegemony.

Bruce Elleman, in 100 case studies ranging from the eighteenth century to the present, examines the role of maritime power. The subjects include mutiny and piracy, coalition warfare, blockade, sea control, and sea denial. The reader, whatever their specialization, will find the examples as well as the comparison of sea powers versus land powers interesting and thought provoking. -- Paul Halpern, Florida State University (emeritus)
Bruce Elleman draws in this book upon his long and prolific scholarly engagement with issues of diplomacy, maritime strategy, and sea power. The result is a stimulating combination of historical analysis and theoretical proposition which could not be more topical in a world of continental and maritime rivalries. -- John Reeve, UNSW Canberra, Australian Defence Force Academy
Principles of Maritime Power "seeks to examine the strengths and weaknesses of maritime power" and "discuss how some countries ... have or are seeking to use sea power to claim regional, and eventually global, hegemony." Rather than a coherent monograph with a tightly argued thesis, the book is better understood as a survey of previously published works written, co-written, or edited by Elleman over the past 20 years. The book's strength is in the application of real-world case studies to the questions at hand[.] Overall, a thought-provoking work on a timely subject. Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. * Choice Reviews *

Bruce Elleman is William V. Pratt Professor of International History at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, RI.