This detailed study of the works of Stephen Bleecker Luce provides an excellent portrait of the man and a timely comment on the intellectual heritage of the U.S. Navy. Here is a look at the individual most important in bridging the gap between the age of sailing ships and that of steam driven, armored battleships. Luce had the greatest influence on his fellow officers. Luce and his associates were faced with a changing strategic environment in which the challenge was to build a Navy capable of exercising the international potential of the U.S. They faced the technological challenge of an industrial revolution and a world steeped in sociological and political change. Luce's experience will provide a useful perspective for the contemporary naval officer. Illus.