News, Articles and Comment

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers a book examining the contemporary Indian and Chinese navies and their development in the context of the evolving Indo-Pacific strategic environment.

Ed. With a study of American maritime strategy, ranging from Mahan to Huntington, the practitioner author believes that the era of the Panoceanic Navy, focused on competitive sea control and sustained sea denial, has begun. Originally published in the USNI’s Proceedings, March edition. A 50 minute read.

Ed. It was timely that Dr Nina Baker’s book on the brave Scottish Merchant Navy women who lost their lives in World War II should cross our desks the other week and I am grateful to Lt Cdr Helen Taylor RN for reviewing it. It generated the question, what about the 75,000 members of the Women’s Royal Naval Service known as the WRNS? It was a less enlightened era so their primary purpose was ‘to free up manpower to serve at sea’ but that meant that they got to serve in many important roles across the war effort from parachute packing, to ammunition technicians, photographers, coxswains, drivers, photographers and coders. Our grateful thanks to Dr Jo Strange for the following taken from her book on the history of the WRNS published in 2016.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March 2026, Lt Cdr Helen Taylor RN considers a short book exploring the life stories of 18 Scottish women who served in the Merchant Navy in the First and Second World Wars, and made the ultimate sacrifice.

Ed. The author provides insight and lessons for project management from the perspective of the Submarine Service. A 5 minute read.

Ed. The author provides an overview of the Armada campaign of 1588, arguing that the fundamental flexibility of mission command can be seen in England’s early modern fleet leadership. A 10 minute read.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers a short book outlining the US Navy and its role in the First World War.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers a book examining the final year in the life of the submarine Triumph in the Mediterranean in the Second World War.

Ed. With insights from Royal Navy training, the author explores how Sweden’s naval role is evolving as it prepares to operate alongside Allied forces and beyond the Baltic Sea. A 25 minute read.