Leverage of Sea Power: The Strategic Advantage of Navies in War

by Colin S. Gray

The technological advances in the machinery of space, nuclear and air warfare have obscured the importance of naval power. Using examples from Ancient Greece to the Gulf War, Gray argues that control of the sea is vital to strategic planning. The book shows how the various ways in which sea-power can be used to decisively influence the outcome of general conflicts. Sparta required a fleet to bring about the destruction of the Athenian Empire, the lack of access to the sea was a fatal weakness for Germany in both World Wars, whilst in the Gulf War, the ability of the western powers and their allies to bring up vast amounts of armour and supplies unchallenged was a key factor in the outcome of the war.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Naval History, Military History

350 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 1992

About the author

Colin S. Gray was a British-American strategic thinker and professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies at the University of Reading, where he was the director of the Centre for Strategic Studies. In addition, he was a Senior Associate to the National Institute for Public Policy.

Gray was educated at the University of Manchester and the University of Oxford. He worked at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Hudson Institute, before founding the National Institute for Public Policy in Washington, D.C. He also served as a defense adviser both to the British and U.S. governments. Gray served from 1982 until 1987 in the Reagan Administration's General Advisory Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament. Furthermore, he taught at the University of Hull, the University of Lancaster, York University, Toronto and University of British Columbia. Gray published 23 books on military history and strategic studies, as well as numerous articles.