International Journal of Naval History

Editorial

Michael Whitby, for the Editors

Welcome to the second issue of the International Journal of Naval History. The editors are proud to have made it this far, and look forward to greater success in the future. But for that we need the support of the international naval history community.

The purpose of the International Journal of Naval History is to serve as a global scholarly forum that seeks to engage all within the field of naval history without regard to speciality, geography, or chronology. We certainly reached that goal in the first edition, which presented papers originally intended for the U.S. Naval Academy’s Fifteenth Naval History Symposium, cancelled due to the tragic events of 11 September 2001. Although the availability of the papers was serendipitous, they reflected the wide scope of themes and subjects – and the quality – which we are looking to present.  Included were papers on the maritime application of atomic energy, naval administration, logistics, grand strategy, polar exploration, warfare, and education, as well as cultural and social aspects of naval history.  Navies under discussion included the USN, RN, Russian, Japanese, Chilean and Turkish, and the papers touched virtually every global maritime region over the past 200 years.  It is fair to say that there was something of interest for any serious scholar of naval history.

We are also pleased to report that we probably have a wider audience and reach than almost any other peer-reviewed military or naval history journal, with a worldwide average of 904 visits to the site per day since April 2002. In October 2002 alone we had 28,025 hits and 19,562 article files viewed in some detail. Presently, in addition to the current issue, the database and the site map will continue to provide access to our first issue for those still interested in reading the papers published there. All of this is available to anyone who finds the subject of naval history interesting, 24 hours each day, from London to Tokyo, to Sydney, to New York, to Keflavik, and back again

This second issue is more reflective of our original concept for the journal. Our intent was to include a small number of articles, book reviews and community information in each issue, and we have achieved that with a refereed article on USN interwar strategic doctrine, four book reviews, and two historical notes, in addition to news from universities and official offices across North America and western Europe. It’s a humble start, but something to build upon.

The obvious shortfall is the lack of international breadth in terms of both subjects and contributors. Although coverage of what might be termed the traditional navies, or the ‘usual suspects’ should not in anyway be considered parochial, we want to encompass points of view and subject matter from the wider naval history community. That, we think, will inform the navalist as well as advance naval scholarship. Moreover, our goal is to make the International Journal of Naval History a useful tool to foster communication among naval historians no matter what their speciality or where they work.  The Internet gives us a means to accomplish that, and we think that our journal could be a most effective forum in making that a reality.

We have also added to our Board of Editors to make the journal truly global and to encourage the contribution of scholars worldwide. With this issue we welcome Professor Hisashi Takahashi of Tokyo's Sophia University to the International Journal of Naval History. We hope his arrival will encourage both Asian specialists and residents to use the journal and contribute. 

So we ask you to consider supporting the International Journal of Naval History either by contributing an article, reviewing a book, or in posting your news on our bulletin board. And please spread the word. We are working towards a quality product but we need your support to achieve our goal of a truly international naval history journal of quality and substance.