Maritime power in the twentieth century: the Australian experience

A book of essays giving an historical description of how Australia, Australia's allies and the Royal Australian Navy in particular have contributed to maintaining security in the oceans around Australia. This volume is the proceedings of a seminar held in Canberra in 1997. From the era of the great battle fleets to modern peacekeeping operations, the twentieth century has witnessed the employment of maritime power as an instrument of diplomacy, a means of policing, and as an indispensable line of defence. Though great and not-so-great navies have continuously sought to identify enduring principles, they have also had to assimilate rapid technological changes and these have in turn led to new approaches to the political and strategic objectives that maritime power can accomplish. In this volume seventeen experienced authors examine how Australia has made use of maritime power to preserve or protect its security interests over the present century. They ask not only what maritime power has achieved, but also what it is for, and what it can do in the future.