As other histories deal with the wars, politics, social and economical conditions of countries, touching upon maritime matters only incidentally and generally unsympathetically, so the present work aims at putting maritime interests in the foreground, without divorcing them, however, from their surroundings of cause and effect in general history, but seeking to show how they modified the latter, and were modified by them.
The period embraced is from 1660, when the sailing-ship era, with its distinctive features, had fairly begun, to 1783, the end of the American Revolution.

While the thread of general history upon which the successive maritime events is strung is intentionally slight, the effort has been to present a clear as well as accurate outline.
Writing as a naval officer in full sympathy with his profession, the author has not hesitated to digress freely on questions of naval policy, strategy, and tactics; but as technical language has been avoided, it is hoped that these matters, simply presented, will be found of interest to the unprofessional reader.
A.T.

MAHAN DECEMBER, 1889.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTORY.
History of Sea Power one of contest between nations, therefore largely military 1 Permanence of the teachings of history 2 Unsettled condition of modern naval opinion 2 Contrasts between historical classes of war-ships 2 Essential distinction between weather and lee gage 5 Analogous to other offensive and defensive positions 6 Consequent effect upon naval policy 6 Lessons of history apply especially to strategy 7 Less obviously to tactics, but still applicable 9 ILLUSTRATIONS: The battle of the Nile, A.D.1798 10 Trafalgar, A.D.1805 11 Siege of Gibraltar, A.D.

1779-1782 12 Actium, B.C.31, and Lepanto, A.D.1571 13 Second Punic War, B.C.

218-201 14 Naval strategic combinations surer now than formerly 22 Wide scope of naval strategy 22.