The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading)

By Alfred Thayer Mahan and Ian M. Cuthbertson

Inspiring the imagination of politicians, the writings of Alfred Thayer Mahan laid the foundation for the emergence of the global superpower the United States is today. When it was first published in 1890, it was intended as a detailed history of the critical and positive impact of naval power in the growth of states. At the time, this was clearly indicated by the British Royal Navy, but The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783, soon served as the catalyst for the transformation of the United States small force of outmoded ships into a mighty modern fleet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble
• Release date: Sep 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781411429598

Alfred Thayer Mahan

Alfred Thayer Mahan (September 27, 1840 – December 1, 1914) was a United States naval officer and historian, whom John Keegan called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His book The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660–1783 (1890) won immediate recognition, especially in Europe, and with its successor, The Influence of Sea Power Upon the French Revolution and Empire, 1793–1812 (1892), made him world-famous and perhaps the most influential American author of the nineteenth century.