Doctoral & Masters prize winners announced

Posted: Thursday 11th March 2021

The COVID 19 pandemic has had a significant impact on post-graduate research this year. From the evidence of this year’s submissions, what has not suffered is the willingness of students to undertake subjects that are challenging and important. 

The BCMH are pleased to announce that the doctoral prize winner, 2020, is Dr Sara Caputo for her thesis: Foreign Seamen and the British Navy, 1793-1815, University of Cambridge. The annual Boydell & Brewer Prize for the best doctoral thesis in maritime history was established by BCMH in 2010. 

The annual Masters dissertation prize, 2020, has been awarded to Peter Garland for his book: The Ionosphere: Undermining Britain’s Imperial Power: Wireless and its Impact on Geopolitics and Naval Operations (1919-1945). Mr Garland’s winning dissertation brought together the technological, operational and political factors that contributed to the Royal Navy failing to establish a lead in wireless communications. He was able to balance the factors and present a trajectory that should simulate further research.

Subjects eligible for consideration for these prizes reflect the Commission’s view of maritime history as a wide-ranging discipline and more details, including previous winners, can be found on our Prizes & Fellowships pages. 

Image detail: Bhamer 'Atmosphere with Ionosphere' (Wiki)