Norman Polmar is a prominent author specializing in the naval, aviation, and intelligence areas.^[1]

He has led major projects for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy, and foreign governments.^[1] His professional expertise has served three Secretaries of the U.S. Navy and two Chiefs of Naval Operations.^[1] He is credited with 50 published books, including nine previous editions of Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet and four editions of Guide to the Soviet Navy.^[1] Polmar writes a column for Proceedings^[1] and was editor of the United States and several other sections of the annual publications of Jane's Fighting Ships.^[2]

In 2019, the Naval Historical Foundation awarded Polmar the Commodore Dudley W. Knox Naval History Lifetime Achievement Award.^[3]