"It could easily be argued that this is the most important book on American maritime power and naval thinking written since Mahan penned his own thoughts. Lambert is not revising, reforming or reinterpreting the thoughts, processes and writings of Mahan but is instead representing the man and his work through an extensive and intricate application of archival research, sound economic knowledge and an outstanding understanding of maritime power and associated concepts.... There is no more sophisticated, comprehensive nor insightful representation of Mahan and his career, his decision making, his intellectual processes, his impact and influence, and his legacy than that presented within these pages. Lambert is not preaching from a position of faith about the prophet Mahan. In this case, there is no interpretation but instead a painstaking recreation and representation of events, ideas, disciplines and individuals who influenced Mahan’s work. For those atheists who do not believe Lambert to be the historical anti-Christ, there is more than enough hard archival evidence to prove chains of custody for ideas and transmissions of thought to satisfy any reasonably able historian who can appreciate the veracity of the analysis that is provided. This book is now the new standard for a nuanced and sophisticated appreciation of the totality of Mahan’s work and its meaning.… It is THE book now for all professional military education institutions that declare they teach strategic thought, naval thinking, sea power, American naval history, or indeed imperial history."—Journal of Strategic Studies

"Lambert's new study of Alfred Thayer Mahan offers a fascinating and convincing series of arguments about a topic of clear relevance for today: sea power. [As he] traces the maturation of Mahan's ideas about sea power, the reader gets fresh accounts of Mahan's activities between articles and books..... The author closes the work by looking forward and broaching the idea that Mahan's ideas about the utility of sea power should replace the outdated "power projection" roles proposed in the 1950s by Samuel Huntington for the Cold War (pp. 339-41), precisely because the great "commons" are once again contested in the 21st century.... Lambert's work here is vital and provides a means to understand why Mahan's intellectual sea power odyssey is still important today."—Journal of Military History

"By reevaluating Mahan's theories in the context of global economic strategies rather than mere military tactics, Lambert provides a fresh lens through which to view early 20th-century international relations and ensures that The Neptune Factor contributes to the historical scholarship of naval history and strategic studies.... In the current global climate, where economic influence and maritime security are increasingly intertwined (and pivotal to national prosperity), Lambert's reinterpretation of Mahan's work gains additional relevance. The book not only encourages but also necessitates modern strategists and policymakers to consider the broader implications of naval power on economic stability and international relations."—National Security Institute, (The SCIF)

"The book is very well written, a pleasure to read and hangs together very nicely. It fills in the relevant context to Mahan’s work. It tells us a lot about the slow evolution of the US Navy at a critical time. It provides a host of insights into many of the key issues of maritime policy and, happily, provides an excellent bridge into today’s concerns about the sanctions campaigns against Russia, the effect of the Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and above all on the need to integrate the naval dimension within broader national policy and strategy.… highly commended."—The Naval Review

"Nicholas Lambert’s new book, The Neptune Factor, is a brilliant addition to this intellectual tradition. It serves as a jumping-off point for scholars and mariners alike, urging them to expand Mahan’s strategy to address the volatile challenges of the twenty-first century. In today’s interconnected world, it is crucial to incorporate geoeconomic issues into our strategic planning."—gCaptain

"A new intellectual biography of Mahan by the historian Nicholas Lambert, is a welcome addition to the literature, helping readers to understand not only Mahan but also the role of sea power. Lambert argues that the core argument that transpires from Mahan’s writings is that sea power, the ability to control maritime routes and prevent others from accessing them, is a tool of political economy, rather than merely military power."—Law & Liberty

"In his recent book, The Neptune Factor, Nicholas Lambert argues that Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan’s concept of sea power has generally been misunderstood. Most think Mahan’s point is about combat and military prowess, but it is really about the economic implications of naval power. International oceanic trade has historically been essential for national wealth and power."—Indianapolis Business Journal

"Reports from various think tanks, other organizations, and media have warned of a maritime crisis for years. Their voices echo that of the patron saint of modern navalists, Alfred Thayer Mahan. In this environment, a timely new book revisits a century-old topic, enlightens readers with previously undiscovered research, and corrects misinterpretations. In reading the entirety of Mahan’s published works and discovering previously buried correspondence, Lambert resurrects the first American navalist in a way that challenges those who venerate him. This extraordinarily well-researched book outlines the need for a properly sized navy to support national goals and economic stability."—The National Interest

"Revisionist and radical though it may seem, Lambert’s work is surely one of the best books ever published by the Naval Institute Press. The Neptune Factor: Alfred Thayer Mahan and the Concept of Sea Power is a deeply researched, clearly argued, and thought-provoking history of Mahan and his writings. The book and its nearly 1,200 footnotes are reinforced by what Mahan read and his correspondence with leading experts of the day, along with Lambert’s comprehensive critiques of prior Mahan interpretations, which have led the Navy to see its preeminent theorist as primarily focused on combat. Whether as applicable history or a detailed revision of prior interpretations, Neptune Factor succeeds. To appreciate Mahan and his theory of sea power in its fullest form is to read all he wrote, what he wrote to those with whom he corresponded, and what he read throughout his life’s work. It is a lot of reading, and Nicholas Lambert did it. Now, we must too. Go read Neptune Factor."—Proceedings

"Lambert's method, as in all his work, is not to proceed from received wisdom about his subject, but to go back to the original sources. The result is a book that explains – far better than any account of Mahan known to me – why he is still read in Beijing today, and why he would repay closer reading in Washington. Lambert’s Mahan is not the crude evangelist of decisive battle between battleships he is often caricatured as but a subtle and evolving thinker about the relationship between naval and economic power. Rejecting the notion that Mahan should be read for his contributions to some abstract naval theory, Lambert insists on the need to put him in his historical context — which was dominated by massive economic change. Manifestly, Lambert’s Mahan-in-full is more relevant to contemporary US national-security policy than the legendary Mahan obsessed with “kinetic” combat operations. No less important is Lambert’s inspiration to young students of power today. His unequalled treatment of Mahan demonstrates many truths between the lines, and they resonate. As a historian, Lambert does not say what U.S. strategy should be. But The Neptune Factor offers ample food for thought for those who want American naval power to fulfill its true purpose – protecting and advancing the naturally unstable sovereignty of democracy, for both ourselves and those willing to partner in the effort."—Defense and Aerospace Report

"The Neptune Factor also highlights the need to integrate new concepts like cybersecurity, the use of space assets, and the deployment of underwater and surface maritime unmanned vehicles into our naval technology."—US Harbors

“Often quoted but seldom read, Alfred Thayer Mahan is sometimes dismissed as little more than a pedantic and parochial advocate of big fleets and decisive naval battles. In this brilliant new intellectual biography, Nicholas Lambert demonstrates, to the contrary, that Mahan was actually a profound analyst of the strategic implications of globalization. Original, provocative, and compelling, Lambert’s book traces the evolution of Mahan’s thought and demonstrates its contemporary relevance. Essential reading for scholars, strategists, and naval officers alike.”—Prof. Aaron L. Friedberg, Princeton University. Author of Getting China Wrong and A Contest for Supremacy: China, America, and the Struggle for Mastery in Asia

"Although the title suggests a rather narrowly focused account, The Neptune Factor is a far-reaching reappraisal of Mahan and his interpreters from the 1890s to the present. Lambert’s insightful and readable book places Mahan’s work firmly within the context of his times. In the course of so doing the author explodes a number of widely accepted Mahan myths and shows the origins and processes of the American naval revival and subsequent rise to world power status to have been far more nuanced and complicated than suggested by earlier authors. Both historians and warfighters should benefit by reading this provocative book."—Prof. Ronald H. Spector (Emeritus), author of Professors of War and Eagle Against the Sun

"This book is essential reading for all serious students of naval history and contemporary geopolitics. Nick Lambert’s discovery of important new archival sources and a careful reconsideration of Mahan’s well-known published writing, has enabled him to produce a transformative study of Captain Alfred Mahan’s signature idea—namely the concept of Sea Power. He shows that Mahan, far from being a simplistic advocate of decisive battle, had a sophisticated understanding of the connections between naval force and international economics. Lambert’s revelations will go far to restore Mahan’s stature as the premier thinker on the role of navies in world affairs."—Prof. Jon T. Sumida (Emeritus), author of Inventing Grand Strategy and Teaching Command: The Classic Works of Alfred Thayer Mahan Reconsidered

"Nick Lambert’s new study of Alfred Thayer Mahan offers a fascinating and convincing series of arguments about a topic of clear relevance for today: sea power. Lambert continues, and perhaps has gone a long way toward finish ing, the work done in revising our modern understanding of Mahan that was needed after a period of anti-Mahanian and misdirected scholarship." —Journal of Military History