I take great pleasure in sharing with Members the new works emerging from the Naval Institute Press, books central to our mission of advancing the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to national defense.
Our newest title is The Accidental Admiral: A Sailor Takes Command at NATO by Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret.), which offers an intimate look at the challenges he faced as Supreme Allied Commander Europe, 2009–13. Be sure to check out the exclusive excerpt in this issue on pages 64-68.
Admiral Stavridis, who currently serves as Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and is Chair of the Naval Institute’s Board of Directors, has been an Institute Member since his days as a midshipman.
Jim Stavridis believes deeply in the Institute’s mission as an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write. He has published in Proceedings at every rank from ensign to admiral. His earlier Naval Institute Press books include Watch Officer’s Guide, Command at Sea, coauthored with Rear Admiral Robert Girrier, USN, and Destroyer Captain: Lessons of A First Command, recounting his experiences as commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52).
The U.S. Naval Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) are partnering to launch a Maritime Security Dialogue conference series as a unique source of data and insight into the current thinking and future challenges of the Sea Services. Given ongoing strategic adjustments, budgetary challenges, and technical advances, the size and nature of U.S. sea power assets likely will undergo major changes over the next 10 to 15 years. The pairing of CSIS and the Naval Institute brings together and places in action the time-tested experience of two of the nation’s most respected nonprofit, nonpartisan institutions on maritime and broader security issues.
The Maritime Security Dialogue series will debut on 14 October with Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert, USN, as the featured speaker. This inaugural event will be hosted by Dr. John Hamre, President and CEO of CSIS, and Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret.). For more information and to register, visit www.usni.org/events.
We are honored to announce the winners of the 2014 Naval History Essay Contest cosponsored with the William M. Wood Foundation:
• First Prize: $5,000
Captain Richard Miller, USN
“A Perfect American Victory: Transformational Leadership at Vella Gulf” (published in this issue, pages 70-75)• Second Prize: $2,500
Dennis L. Noble, PhD
“The Enlisted Force’s Scribe”• Third Prize: $1,500
Ensign Sam Oat-Judge, USN
“Nathaniel Fanning: Revolutionary Sailor, Prisoner, Captain, and Spy”
The Second and Third prize-winning essays will be published in upcoming issues of Naval History magazine.
Our hope is all three winners will be able to join us for our 1 October History Conference: “Leaders in Action: Ordinary People Doing the Extraordinary.” This conference also is underwritten by a generous grant from the William M. Wood Foundation. Admission for this conference at the U.S. Naval Academy is free.
We have two other active essay contests that we encourage Members and nonmembers to enter:
• 2014 Leadership Essay Contest—A U.S. Naval Institute program in partnership with Dr. J. P. London and CACI International
$5,000 First Prize
$2,500 Second Prize
$1,500 Third Prize
Deadline: 30 October 2014
For more details: www.usni.org/leadershipessay• Naval Institute General Prize Essay Contest
$6,000 First Prize
$3,000 Second Prize
$2,000 Third Prize
Deadline: 31 December 2014
For more details: www.usni.org/genessay
Live the Naval Institute’s experience to dare to read, think, write—and win!