Books & Monographs
Smith argues that maritime strategic traditions offer a more compelling framework for developing space policy, strategy and doctrine than land-based terrestrial approaches. It presents a new history of both intellectual and practical developments for space and space organisation(s), presenting a challenge to existing narratives on the ‘space race(s)’ and the true roots of strategic space thought than ones commonly found today by space forces and related organisations. By tracing how maritime thought has historically informed strategy—including the often-tense relationships between military branches, historians, and theorists—the work reveals pathways for addressing core challenges in an expanding extra-terrestrial domain: ensuring stable interaction, preventing catastrophic conflict, and navigating increasing competition across cosmic frontiers while asking fundamental questions on the future of humanity in space. 1
Coming Soon
Copyright JAMES WE SMITH
Based on his PhD and 20 years of research, James W.E. Smith presents a fresh examination of defence unification—the convergence of separate military departments and ministries into a single monolithic institution. Tracing its roots through centuries of British and Prussian military governance, this work reveals how in the end U.S. institutional landscapes both shaped and were reshaped the process in the US and UK. Examining the dramatic abolition of the British Admiralty and US Department of the Navy, it explores the contested politics that birthed modern unified defence, opening up a whole set of new challenges for defence and national strategy making, including the development of strategic theory. Most uniquely, the project challenges established narratives about where and how unification began, let alone its future. The result is a framework for understanding why defence structure remains fundamentally intertwined as a question, rather than an end point while anaylsying if vast organisations like the US Department of Defense and UK Ministry of Defence present more of a threat to national defence strategy making that an enabler.
Coming soon.
Copyright JAMES WE SMITH
‘Maritime Strategy: The Proceedings of Corbett 100’is an edited volume of papers from the Corbett 100 conference series, events and publications that explores the intellectual theoretical development of maritime strategic thought and its relationship with practical application. Featuring scholars from around the world, covering an expanse of history and questions, the book provides a new foundation to understanding maritime strategy, the making of it and its influence on the past, present and future.
Under Development.
Copyright JAMES WE SMITH
Editors and advisors: Andrew Lambert, James WE Smith, David Kohnen, Mark Bailey.
Covers and abstracts may not be the final version or entirely the reflect the contents of the final publication.