▁he ▁was ▁a ▁sail ing ▁instruct or ▁on ▁Port age ▁Lake ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁the ▁Class ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁from ▁Ly ons ▁Township ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁La G range , ▁Illinois , ▁he ▁earned ▁his ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁history ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁from ▁Ken y on ▁College , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁Charles ▁R itch es on ▁and ▁Richard ▁G . ▁Sal omon . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁Frank ▁C . ▁Mun son ▁Institute ▁of ▁American ▁Mar itime ▁History ▁at ▁Myst ic ▁Se ap ort , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁under ▁Robert ▁G . ▁Alb ion ▁and ▁Benjamin ▁W . ▁Lab are e . ▁He ▁earned ▁his ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁history ▁from ▁Brown ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁comple ting ▁his ▁th esis ▁under ▁the ▁tut el age ▁of ▁A . ▁Hunter ▁Dup ree ▁on ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁strateg ic ▁thinking ▁and ▁war ▁g aming ▁at ▁the ▁Naval ▁War ▁College . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁he ▁completed ▁his ▁doctor ate ▁at ▁P embro ke ▁College , ▁Oxford ▁with ▁a ▁th esis ▁on ▁English ▁Grand ▁Str ategy ▁in ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Su cc ession , ▁ 1 7 0 2 – 1 2 , ▁super vised ▁by ▁N . ▁H . ▁Gib bs ▁and ▁complement ed ▁by ▁studies ▁under ▁R agn h ild