Why, you might wonder, should anyone but a sailor be interested in a specialised analysis of maritime power? In reading this book, you would quickly discover why. The sea covers three‐quarters of the globe; more than half the world's population lives within 50 miles of it; and 90 per cent of world trade travels on it. Readers (defined as students, academics, business people and general researchers) would also learn that maritime power is a much broader concept than naval power, for it is not confined to the military aspect; it covers commerce, fisheries, law enforcement, and the competition for offshore resources. In a narrower definition of power, navies can carry out effective operations in international waters without the risk of provoking a full‐scale war as army manoeuvres might do; several contributors point out that in the contemporary world, threats to maritime security (terrorism, piracy, smuggling of drugs and people) usually do not involve conflict between conventional naval forces, but navies (or their equivalents) are still needed to cope with them.
The book is in two parts of approximately equal length. The first comprises a series of essays by authors from several countries on such subjects as the nature of modern maritime power since 1945, and its possible future; the development of naval technology in that period; the use of navies in expeditionary warfare, in conflicts short of war, and in diplomacy; and the maritime aspects of current international law. Given that most of the contributors are academics, it is a surprise to find that some of them have not provided footnotes or references.
The second part is described as a glossary of maritime affairs, although most of the entries are considerably longer than the term “glossary” would usually imply; that on the US navy occupies three pages. The entries cover major maritime powers, important personalities, types of warships or naval weapons, maritime wars and disputes, and relevant international agreements. In a list with such a broad scope, confined to 200 entries, it would always be possible to discover omissions, but a surprising one is the lack of a reference to the dispute between Russia and the Ukraine over the future of Sebastopol. Conversely, there are accounts of many current maritime disputes known only to specialists, for instance, one between Singapore and Malaysia over the status of an island large enough for a lighthouse but little more. In the age of globalisation, it is considered that such disputes are on the increase.
The supplementary material comprises maps of the principal maritime regions; a bibliography of 150 items, the majority of which would be available only in the largest or most specialised libraries (no websites are listed); and a summary of the numbers of each type of ship in the 25 most important navies. A recent newspaper article speculated that within 20 years, the British navy would be reduced to half its present numbers; perhaps someone should send the Prime Minister a copy of this thought‐provoking book.
