Ferdinand N. Agu
When Admiral Francis Akpan asked me to review his book â AN ADMIRALâs COMPASS – I did not feel suited for the task. But he persisted. Now, having read the book, I thank him for this honour. It is a peep into the fertile mind of a professional soldier; a leader, scholar, patriot, strategic and stimulating thinker. His thoughts surge like restless waves across a sea of topics, even as he sails a steady course to articulate the imperatives of Nigeriaâs maritime strategy and maritime security; and their concomitants.
Though it is not wise to judge a book by its cover, one can safely judge this book by its title. An Admiralâs Compass: Reflections on Leadership, Military Strategy and Maritime Security is informative and authoritative. It distils Admiral Akpanâs rich experience: at sea and ashore, at home and abroad, in and outside naval service, which he shared with generations of naval and military officers in lectures delivered over a period