Learning War examines the U.S. Navy's doctrinal development from
1898-1945 and explains why the Navy in that era was so successful as an
organization at fostering innovation. A revolutionary study of one of
history's greatest success stories, this book draws profoundly important
conclusions that give new insight, not only into how the Navy succeeded
in becoming the best naval force in the world, but also into how modern
organizations can exploit today's rapid technological and social changes
in their pursuit of success. Trent Hone argues that the Navy created a
sophisticated learning system in the early years of the twentieth
century that led to repeated innovations in the development of surface
warfare tactics and doctrine. The conditions that allowed these
innovations to emerge are analyzed through a consideration of the Navy
as a complex adaptive system. Learning War is the first major work to
apply this complex learning approach to military history. This approach
permits a richer understanding of the mechanisms that enable human
organizations to evolve, innovate, and learn, and it offers new insights
into the history of the United States Navy.