Research Guide: A Philosophy of and for Strategy

Thinking about Strategy

Strategy is one of the most frequently used terms in politics, defence and business, yet it is often one of the least examined. It is commonly reduced to planning, policy or the application of military power. My research starts from a different premise: that strategy is an intellectual discipline concerned with the relationship between political purpose, power and action.

This perspective has led me to revisit established assumptions about strategy, question conventional interpretations of historical experience and explore the role of institutions in shaping strategic thought. Rather than accepting familiar narratives, I am interested in understanding why certain ideas endure, why others are forgotten, and what this tells us about the way states develop and exercise power.

For me, strategy is not simply about explaining past decisions or anticipating future conflicts. It is about understanding the intellectual foundations that enable governments, institutions and military organisations to think clearly, adapt to change and act coherently over time. That conviction connects research on maritime strategy, defence organisation, future of the military services such as navies, applied history, professional military education and emerging domains such as space.

Much of the study of strategy concentrates on campaigns, wars or individual policy decisions. My research takes a broader view. Rather than treating these as isolated events, I explore the intellectual, historical and institutional conditions that make strategy possible. This has led me to examine subjects ranging from maritime strategy and defence organisation to education and space policy, not as separate fields of enquiry, but as interconnected expressions of how states understand and exercise power.

Although much of my research focuses on maritime strategy, defence organisation and emerging domains such as space, these are not isolated subjects. They are different perspectives on a common set of questions about the relationship between political purpose, national power and strategic thinking.

While individual publications examine subjects as diverse as maritime strategy, defence organisation, professional military education and space policy, they are connected by a broader interest in the relationship between strategic thought and strategic practice. My research explores how ideas are translated into institutions, how institutions influence decision-making, and how historical understanding can contribute to contemporary strategy, feeding into other areas like policy and doctrine.

Understanding My Research

Research is often presented as a collection of publications, projects or areas of expertise. While these are important, they only tell part of the story. This guide introduces the ideas and questions that connect my research and provides a framework for exploring the books, articles and projects that have developed over more than two decades.

My work is concerned with strategy in its broadest sense. It examines how states understand and exercise power, how strategic thought develops, and how history, institutions and education shape the capacity of governments and armed forces to respond to an increasingly complex world.

At the heart of my research lies a simple but enduring question: what does it mean to think abut strategy, and how does that translate into the acting strategically?

Rather than advancing a single theory of strategy, my research explores how strategic ideas are formed, how they evolve and how they continue to shape contemporary policy and practice. This guide introduces the principal themes that run throughout my work and provides a starting point for readers wishing to explore them further.

Although my research spans a wide range of historical periods, nations, institutions and strategic problems, it is unified by a common purpose. Rather than treating strategy as a purely military activity or a collection of isolated case studies, I seek to understand the conditions that enable states to think and act strategically. This requires looking beyond campaigns and conflicts to the ideas, institutions, historical experience and systems including that of education that shape strategic judgement over time.

Strategy and National Power

Strategy sits at the centre of my research. Rather than viewing strategy simply as military planning or the conduct of war, I approach it as the relationship between political purpose, national power and the choices that governments make in pursuit of their interests. This perspective places strategy within a wider political, historical and institutional context, recognising that military force is only one element of a nation’s ability to influence events.

Across my work I explore how strategic thought develops, how it adapts to changing circumstances and why different states often approach similar problems in very different ways. Understanding strategy therefore requires an appreciation not only of military affairs but also of politics, history, government, economics, diplomacy, technology and national culture.

Applied History and Strategic Thinking

History provides the foundation for much of my research. Rather than treating the past as a source of fixed lessons, I use historical inquiry to examine how strategic ideas emerge, develop and are challenged over time. This approach draws upon applied history to place contemporary strategic questions within a broader historical context while recognising that each generation confronts its own unique circumstances.

Historical analysis also provides an opportunity to revisit established assumptions, recover neglected ideas and reconsider institutions that have shaped national strategies. By examining how previous generations understood strategic problems, it becomes possible to ask better questions about the present and anticipate future challenges.

Institutions and Strategy

Strategic thinking does not exist independently of the organisations that produce and sustain it. Governments, armed forces and public institutions influence how strategic knowledge is developed, preserved and communicated. My research therefore examines defence organisation, civil-military relationships and the institutional foundations of national strategy, considering how organisational change affects both strategic culture and policy. Understanding institutions is therefore essential to understanding strategy itself, since they shape not only how decisions are made, but also how strategic knowledge is created, sustained and communicated over time.

Exploring the Research

The themes outlined here provide a framework for understanding the questions that have shaped my research over the past two decades. While individual publications address specific historical periods, strategic problems and policy debates, they are united by a continuing interest in how strategy is understood, developed and applied.

The books, articles and projects collected throughout this website explore these themes in greater depth, from maritime strategy and defence organisation to professional military education, applied history and emerging domains such as space. Together, they reflect an ongoing research programme that seeks to understand not only the practice of strategy, but the ideas, institutions and historical perspectives that make strategic thinking possible.

Whether you are interested in strategic studies, military and intelleucal history, defence policy or maritime affairs. The pages that follow explore these questions through books, articles, research projects and public engagement, offering different perspectives on the study and practice of strategy.