This book examines naval history, and provides explanation, argument, and prediction for the future.

A study of the political utility of navies not only in past wars and possible future wars but also in the "violent peace" of the modern era. It looks at their use in gunboat diplomacy, showing the flag, policing coastlines and tackling pirates and terrorists. Naval arms control is also discussed.

James Cable's book...has deservedly remained the classic work' - Geoffrey Till, International Relations ...a classic work in the modern literature on naval power...This third edition is to be welcomed, not only because it increases the book's availability but because Cable's revisions highlight the increased relevance of the topic.' - Michael Pugh, Journal of Strategic Studies When Gunboat Diplomacy was first published in 1971, it broke new ground with its study of how, in peacetime and in the twentieth century, governments used their naval forces in international disputes. Now fully revised...