In this second volume of his history of naval power in the 20th century, H. P. Willmott follows the fortunes of the established seafaring nations of Europe along with two upstarts-the United States and Japan. Emerging from World War I in command of the seas, Great Britain saw its supremacy weakened through neglect and in the face of more committed rivals. Britain's grand Coronation Review of 1937 marked the apotheosis of a sea power slipping into decline. Meanwhile, Britain's rivals and soon-to-be enemies were embarking on significant naval building programs that would soon change the nature of war at sea in ways that neither they nor their rivals anticipated. By the end of a new world war, the United States had taken command of two oceans, having placed its industrial might behind technologies that further defined the arena of naval power above and below the waves, where stealth and the ability to strike at great distance would soon rewrite the rules of war and of peace. This splendid volume further enhances Willmott's stature as the dean of naval historians.

The second volume of an important new analysis of 20th-century sea power

About the Author

H. P. Willmott has written extensively on warfare in general and on World War II in particular. Among his books are The Last Century of Sea Power: From Port Arthur to Chanak, 1894-1922 (IUP, 2009) and The Battle of Leyte Gulf: The Last Fleet Action (IUP, 2005), a Society of Military History prize winner.

Reviews

[T]his is an important contribution to naval history that provides a thoughtful account of the years preceding the Second World War and, at much greater length, of the war itself. 2010

* History *

The author, dean of naval historians, provides a sweeping look at, and analysis of, the transformation of naval power . . . [His] dry wit and sense of irony add spice to the impressive array of facts and analysis of the preatesst period of naval warfare. Wilmott is fearless in his judgments.December 2010

* Seapower *



Book Information
ISBN 9780253353597
Author H. P. Willmott
Format Hardback
Page Count 704
Imprint Indiana University Press
Publisher Indiana University Press