. >> norman friedman, as i'm sure you all know, is an extremely prolific naval author. he has done untold damage to my bank account. today, he is going to talk about the process of wargaming between the two wars and how that prepared us for the pacific war.

. >> norman friedman, as i'm sure you all know, is an extremely prolific naval author. he has done untold damage to my bank account. today, he is going to talk about the process of wargaming between the two wars and how that prepared us for the pacific war. dr. friedman: thank you. thank you for having me. thank you for coming. i became interested in newport -- i add been interested in newport for many years, but i had been doing some research on wargaming. i would not recommend that to anyone who does not have a lot of time and a good stomach. lot. i don't think you would learn the same things if you don't go through them, frankly. what you learn is newport is not what you thought it was. we are inclined to think of the big schools as a way of educating officers. and newport, for most of the interwar period functioned just as much as a kind of lab for the navy. also there was an aspect of a seminar -- you had high-ranking officers, already a high-ranking who went there. there was one case i had, i think there were several, where there was a rear admiral. this was a guy