Bryan Ranft (14 July 1917 – 14 April 2001) was an historian of the Royal Navy, who served as Professor of History and International Affairs at the
Royal Naval College, Greenwich
The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equiv ...
, 1967–1977.
Early life and education
Ranft was educated at
Manchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) in Manchester, England, is the largest independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1515 as a Grammar school#free tuition, free grammar school next to Manchester C ...
and
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he joined the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
, rising to the rank of
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
. Well along in his career, Ranft completed his
D.Phil.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
degree in history at
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
in 1967 with a thesis on ''The naval defence of British sea-borne trade, 1860–1905''.
Academic career
Upon leaving the Royal Artillery, Ranft joined the staff of the
Royal Naval College, Greenwich
The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equiv ...
and rose to become Professor of History and International Affairs. He was a visiting fellow at
King's College London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...
, where he taught naval history to several generations of postgraduate students, and was appointed Visiting Professor in 1982.
Published works
* ''The
Vernon Papers'',edited by B. McL. Ranft. Publications of the
Navy Records Society
The Navy Records Society was established in 1893 as a scholarly text publication society to publish historical documents relating to the history of the Royal Navy. Professor Sir John Knox Laughton and Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge were the key lea ...
, vol. 99.
ondon Printed for the Navy Records Society, 1958.
* ''Greenwich: palace, hospital, college'', by
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...
; revised by Bryan Ranft. London: Royal Naval College, 1969.
* ''Technical change and British naval policy, 1860–1939'', edited by Bryan Ranft. London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1977.
* ''The sea in Soviet strategy'', Bryan Ranft and
Geoffrey Till
Geoffrey Till (born in London, England, on 14 January 1945) is a British naval historian and emeritus Professor of Maritime Studies in the Defence Studies Department of King's College London. He is the Director of the Corbett Centre for Marit ...
. London: Macmillan, 1983, 1989.
* ''Ironclad to Trident: 100 years of defence commentary: Brassey's 1886–1986'', edited by Bryan Ranft. London: Brassey's, 1986.
* ''The Beatty papers: selections from the private and official correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet
Earl Beatty
Earl Beatty is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1919 for the prominent naval commander Admiral of the Fleet Sir David Beatty. He was created Baron Beatty, of the North Sea and of Brooksby in the County of Leic ...
'', edited by B. McL. Ranft. Two volumes. Aldershot: Scolar Press for the
Navy Records Society
The Navy Records Society was established in 1893 as a scholarly text publication society to publish historical documents relating to the history of the Royal Navy. Professor Sir John Knox Laughton and Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge were the key lea ...
, 1989–1993.
* ''The Oxford illustrated history of the Royal Navy'', general editor,
J. Richard Hill
Rear Admiral John Richard Hill (25 March 1929 – 25 March 2017) was a rear-admiral in the Royal Navy, a former chief executive of the Middle Temple, author, and editor of many books on naval affairs.
Early life and education
Richard Hill was bor ...
; consultant editor, Bryan Ranft. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1995.
* "Beatty, David, first Earl Beatty (1871–1936)’ in the
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
, 2004
* ''The development of British naval thinking: essays in memory of Bryan Ranft'', edited by
Geoffrey Till
Geoffrey Till (born in London, England, on 14 January 1945) is a British naval historian and emeritus Professor of Maritime Studies in the Defence Studies Department of King's College London. He is the Director of the Corbett Centre for Marit ...
. London : Routledge, 2006.
Sources
* Obituary "Professor Bryan Ranft: Historian of the Royal Navy", ''Guardian'', 25 May 2001.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranft, Bryan
1917 births
2001 deaths
People educated at Manchester Grammar School
Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
Academics of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Academics of King's College London
English naval historians
British Army personnel of World War II
Royal Artillery officers
20th-century English historians