Forensic engineering as a history method

How does an engineering background influence your approach to naval history?

It encourages a forensic approach that tests claims against evidence, technical realities, and the difference between what is said and what was actually done.

The method is described as forensic engineering: compare what a source says with what its claims would require in practice. Assertions must be checked against physical reality instead of treated as self-validating. Engineering also has its own vocabulary, which a historian must understand before interpreting technical records. Ships, weapons, and logistics provide material constraints that can test a historical narrative.