Maritime Strategies for the XXI Century: The
Contribution of Admiral Castex
By Lars Wedin (Nuvis, paperback)
Castex’s reputation is rescued by this short book in which a Swedish officer, Lars Wedin, examines the contribution which Castex made to naval thinking, and how some of Castex’s ideas could be applied to maritime and naval strategy in the 21st century. Wedin examines how the context of Castes’ writings
has changed (Castex could not, for example, have envisaged fighting war from space or in the ether), and he highlights many other aspects which a maritime strategy must address ranging from tourism and terrorism. Wedin also draws on a wide range of Anglophone and French sources, and it comes with an endorsement by the French Chief of Naval Staff. Wedin had a broader point to make and that is that given the tempo of modern day operations in peacetime, how can any serving officer spare time for the serious reading, thinking, and writing – is this why, he asks, most strategic thinkers are academics or retired officers? It is vital for the future of any navy that it allows time for its officers to be creative or it risks sinking into intellectual stagnation. An excellent book on maritime strategy which needs to be read by all serving naval officers, however busy they are.
Other reviews:
https://www.revueconflits.com/strategies-maritimes-au-xxie-siecle-lapport-de-lamiral-castex/
http://blogdefense.overblog.com/2016/07/strategies-maritimes-au-xxie-siecle.html