The Influence of Sea Power upon History
Title page of the twelfth edition. | |
| Author | Alfred Thayer Mahan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Military history |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Published | 1890 (Little, Brown and Co.) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback) 4 maps (1 fold.) plans. 23 cm. |
| Pages | 557 |
| ISBN | 978-1-420-94847-9 |
| OCLC | 2553178 |
| 909 | |
| LC Class | D27.M212 1898 |
| Followed by | The Influence of Sea Power Upon the French Revolution and Empire, 1793–1812 (published 1892) |
| Text | The Influence of Sea Power upon History at Wikisource |
The Influence of Sea Power upon History: 1660–1783 is a history of naval warfare published in 1890 by the American naval officer and historian Alfred Thayer Mahan. It details the role of sea power during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and discussed the various factors needed to support and achieve sea power, with emphasis on having the largest and most powerful fleet. Scholars considered it the single most influential book in naval strategy. Its policies were quickly adopted by most major navies, ultimately leading to the World War I naval arms race. It is also cited as one of the contributing factors of the United States becoming a great power. It was followed by The Influence of Sea Power upon the French Revolution and Empire, 1793–1812, published in 1892.