Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan (September 27, 1840 – December 1, 1914) was a United States Navy admiral, geostrategist, and historian, who has been called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His concept of "sea power" was based on the idea that countries with greater naval power will have greater worldwide impact; it was most famously presented in The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660–1783 (1890). The concept had an enormous influence in shaping the strategic thought of navies across the world, especially in the United States, Germany, Japan and Great Britain, ultimately causing a European naval arms race in the 1890s, which included the United States. His ideas still permeate the US Navy doctrine.
Several ships have been named as the USS Mahan, including the lead vessel of a class of destroyers.
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Books/Sources
- Alfred Thayer Mahan: Selected Works (illustrated): (Nine Books, with more then 100 illustrations) - Alfred Thayer Mahan
- Inventing Grand Strategy and Teaching Command: The Classic Works of Alfred Thayer Mahan Reconsidered (Woodrow... - Jon Tetsuro Sumida