Mahan used primary sources at a level typical of historians in his own period, so later criticism should not be projected backward without context. He was working as a naval theorist who sought practical applications from history for professional education, rather than only as a modern specialist historian. That purpose shaped how he selected historical examples and turned them into strategic arguments. This distinction separates a critique of archival method from an assessment of what Mahan was trying to teach naval officers.
Notable Point · 1:50:36-1:51:02
Reading Mahan as a theorist and naval educator
Later criticism of Mahan's sources must be judged against contemporary practice and his purpose: using history for practical naval education.