Seapower: A Guide for the Twenty-First Century (Revised and Updated Fifth Edition)
438 pages
Dr James Bosbotinis
Since the first edition of Seapower was published in 2005, as Till explains, “the world has changed, and if anything, the pace of that change appears to be accelerating…We are now entering the second quarter of the 21st century and things now seem very different in many ways.” Professor Geoff Till will of course be very well-known to members of the NR, and his latest edition of Seapower most eagerly awaited. In this latest edition, Till sets out to explain and analyse the evolving maritime strategic environment alongside the fundamentals of seapower, to bring clarity to an inherently complex, multi-faceted subject. As would be expected, Till succeeds: he writes with ease and clarity, which results in a text that will be most valuable to those setting out to study maritime strategy as well as those already deeply familiar with the subject.
The layout of this new edition has changed somewhat. In contrast to the fourth edition’s 14 chapters, the fifth edition has 17, ranging from ‘Maritime Strategy: A Quick Introduction’, ‘A Maritime Predisposition’, ‘Naval and Economic Power’(which opens with the anonymous quote that “Navies win battles. Economies win war”), through to the examination of the standard ‘Navies and Technology’, securing and exploiting sea control, maritime power projection, and the eminently well-titled ‘Who Said What and Why it Matters’. In the chapter on naval and economic power, Till makes the critical point: “In an age of globalisation, the linkages between navies, seapower, economic and financial power and geopolitics are particularly strong.” One would suggest that this should perhaps be drummed in to all those in the Westminster and Whitehall areas!
There is a new chapter, ‘Grey Zone Operations as Maritime Strategy’, which provides a most valuable introduction and guide to grey zone operations in the maritime domain. The concluding chapter, ‘Only Connect’, is also new: it emphasises the interconnectedness of maritime power and the roles of navies within it. This is brought together on pages 386-390 where Till argues ‘there is a case for a radical re-consideration of the way that navies think of their roles and how these are presented to governments and publics’ and illustrated on page 390 with his conception of ‘Delivering Maritime Effect’.
The breadth and depth of Till’s knowledge and analytical ability are ably demonstrated in this new edition of Seapower, yet the author’s writing style ensures the book is concise and engaging. There are typos and punctuation errors, which should have been identified in the proof-reading process, but do not detract from the quality of the book. Seapower provides an intellectually stimulating and most valuable study of maritime strategy. It is essential reading and most highly recommended.
