Naval strategists
Sir: Patrick Cosgrave, in his review of the current edition of Jane's Fighting Ships (August 5) performs a valuable service in drawing attention to an important aspect of our national defence. I wonder, however if he is nct being a little unfair to modern British naval
st ra teg ist s in suggesting that Professor I.. W. Martin's The Sea in Modern Strategy is the only major study to have appeared in recent years. Is he aware, for example, of Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Gret ton's book Maritime Strategy (Cassell, 1965), or of the two excellent books by Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Hezlet, The Submarine and Sea Power (Peter Davies, 1967) and The A it-croft and Sea Power (1970)? While disavowing any in tent ion of criticising Professor Martin's book, which I have not read, I feel bound to confess to a bias in favour of studies by persons who have risen to high rank in the naval service of their country as against books by persons whom one suspects, no doubt unjustly in some cases, to be woolly theorists with both feet off the ground.
G. Chowdharav-Best 174 Clay Hill Road, Basildon, Essex
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