ARMY & NAVY: Imperial Mahan

Published this week is a book telling the U. S. people more than most of them ever knew about why they have a Big Navy.

The Life and Work of Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan U.S.N.* is the first full-dress biography of a godly, pike-backed salty sailor who in his lifetime (1840-1914) did more than any other to shape the modern navies of the world. In his 40 years of active service, Alfred Mahan never rose above Captain, became a Rear Admiral only when he retired. A contemptuous superior called him a "pen-and-ink sailor,"...

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