ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the dominant narrative that emerged and that might fairly be described as representing an Anglo-American tradition in maritime strategy. It addresses alternative interpretations and seeks to establish the extent to which the Anglo-American tradition had relevance and resonance beyond those two countries. The classic works of maritime strategy were founded on an assumption that there are enduring principles that can be identified from the study of past events. In some cases, including that of Alfred Thayer Mahan, it might be argued that the principles seem to have been decided upon first and then history was exploited in order to provide supporting 'evidence'. There is a western tradition of writing on naval warfare and maritime strategy that dates back thousands of years. In ancient Greece Thucydides wrote of the importance of the 'rule of the sea', while around 800 years later, Vegetius was just one of a number of Roman commentators who examined naval warfare.
