ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book explains that maritime power has played and will continue to play a decisive role in the international system. It addresses transformations in the character and application of sea power. The phrases "sea power" and "maritime power" are used interchangeably by the author and are broadly understood to be the sum of a nation's ability to impact political, military, and economic decisions on the world's oceans. The research suggests that organizational response to technological innovation is decisive in sustaining modern armed forces. It offers readers a conceptional framework of maritime power that should be of inter-disciplinary value. During the Cold War years the role that maritime power played within the grand strategy of the world's premier naval power, the United States, was often unclear.
