Innovating Victory

Vincent P. O’Hara is an independent naval historian and the author of thirteen works, including Six Victories: North Africa, Malta, and the Mediterranean Convoy War, November 1941–March 1942, and Clash of Fleets: Naval Battles of the Great War, 1914–18, with Leonard R. Heinz. He holds a history degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and lives in Chula Vista, California.Leonard R. Heinz worked for many years as a financial services lawyer while maintaining an active interest in military and naval history. He has written articles and designed war games on naval topics. He holds a history degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and lives in Corrales, New Mexico.

“Innovating Victory is a valuable augmentation of our understanding of how technology influences naval warfare. O’Hara and Heinz chart the influence of six innovative technologies and recount how the combat potential of those technologies was enhanced or constrained by the organizations that developed, refined, and employed them.” —Trent Hone, author of Learning War: The Evolution of Fighting Doctrine in the U.S. Navy, 1898-1945 and co-author of Battle Line: The United States Navy, 1919-1939“Vincent O'Hara and Leonard Heinz approach an important current problem in a valuable an innovative way: they look at key technological advances and ask how and why the different major navies did or did not benefit. In an age of technological innovation, it is too easy to avoid going beyond the sizzle to ask what should or should not be adopted, and how. The authors' comparative approach is both unusual and extremely valuable.” —Norman Friedman, author of U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History“O'Hara and Heinz are to be congratulated on a fine book about technological innovation. They illustrate the relationship between innovation in the area of military technology (and, secondly, in doctrine) and use of that technology in combat. The work does this by using six weapon case studies: the torpedo, the mine, radio, radar, submarines, and aircraft. The authors argue that assessing innovation ultimately must go through the crucible of combat to assess and develop the technology for the purposes of ‘securing power at sea.’” —Dr. John T. Kuehn, professor of Military History, US Army Command and General Staff College and author of America's First General Staff: A Short History of the Rise and Fall of the General Board of the U.S. Navy, 1900-1950“This is a marvelous book! O’Hara and Heinz have produced a well-written, well-researched work; full of surprises and a pleasure to read. The exploration of a half dozen key naval innovative technologies covers all major navies; no one nation has a corner on innovation. The trick is translating them into combat capability. The chapters on mines, torpedoes and submarines are particularly germane given heightened anxieties regarding possible conflict with China.” —RADM Michael McDevitt, USN (Ret.), author of China as a Twenty-First-Century Naval Power“This book is a fascinating history of how new technologies have been made to work in sea warfare. It has as much relevance for contemporary navies as naval historians. Successful innovation as Innovating Victory, depends not just on technical expertise, but imagination, perseverance and a constant focus on the true strategic and operational goals to be achieved.” —Rear Adm. James Goldrick, RAN (Ret.), author of Before Jutland and After Jutland"Grab this entertaining, enlightening little book. Recommended!" — Cybermodeling Online"The volume has numerous photographs and charts that enhance the study, as well as an extensive bibliography. Equally weighted chapters provide balance to the book and ensure it is readable to generalists yet informative and thought provoking for all; it is filled with histori­cal examples, well written, and engaging." — Naval War College Review