Recovering Naval Power : Henry Maydman and the Revival of the Royal Navy

This book offers a new edition of Henry Maydman’s work Naval Speculations with a detailed commentary by two leading experts on its importance to the naval issues of the 21st century.

Written at a revolutionary and troubling time, Maydman’s 1691 book offers an analysis of the state of the Royal Navy at the time, together with a set of recommendations for its improvement. It not only tells us a good deal about the Royal Navy of the time but also provides a general theory of why navies decline and what can be done to rejuvenate them. Recovering Naval Power shows that the issues he identifies have applied to every navy in every period. We are now seeing the dramatic rejuvenation of the Chinese Navy and the reactions to it of the US and other navies, together with a new rise in naval tensions in the Euro-Atlantic. Despite the obvious political, economic and technological differences between Maydman’s day and ours, this work shows that his recommendations could hardly be more relevant in today’s circumstances. Alongside the modified text of Naval Speculations, this book includes a preface and two chapters addressing, first, the Royal Navy of Maydman's time and his role in it and, second, the relevance of what Maydman said for the navies of the 21st century. The book concludes with some overall comments about Maydman and the recovery of naval power and recommendations for further reading.

This book will be of much interest to students of naval history, maritime power, strategic studies, and International Relations in general.

John B. Hattendorf is the Ernest J. King Professor Emeritus of Maritime History, a chair he occupied at the US Naval War College from 1984 to 2016. He is the author or editor of more than 50 books.

Geoffrey Till is Emeritus Professor of Maritime Studies at King’s College, London, and Chairman of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies. He is author of a many books including, most recently, How to Grow a Navy (2022).