Sea Power

The History and Geopolitics of the World's Oceans

By: James Stavridis USN

Narrated by: Marc Cashman

From one of the most admired admirals of his generation—and the only admiral to serve as Supreme Allied Commander at NATO—comes a remarkable voyage through all of the world’s most important bodies of water, providing the story of naval power as a driver of human history and a crucial element in our current geopolitical path.

From the time of the Greeks and the Persians clashing in the Mediterranean, sea power has determined world power. To an extent that is often underappreciated, it still does. No one understands this better than Admiral Jim Stavridis. In Sea Power, Admiral Stavridis takes us with him on a tour of the world’s oceans from the admiral’s chair, showing us how the geography of the oceans has shaped the destiny of nations, and how naval power has in a real sense made the world we live in today, and will shape the world we live in tomorrow.

Not least, Sea Power is marvelous naval history, giving us fresh insight into great naval engagements from the battles of Salamis and Lepanto through to Trafalgar, the Battle of the Atlantic, and submarine conflicts of the Cold War. It is also a keen-eyed reckoning with the likely sites of our next major naval conflicts, particularly the Arctic Ocean, Eastern Mediterranean, and the South China Sea. Finally, Sea Power steps back to take a holistic view of the plagues to our oceans that are best seen that way, from piracy to pollution.

When most of us look at a globe, we focus on the shape of the of the seven continents. Admiral Stavridis sees the shapes of the seven seas. After reading Sea Power, you will too. Not since Alfred Thayer Mahan’s legendary The Influence of Sea Power upon History have we had such a powerful reckoning with this vital subject.

Amazing book, amazing audio book reader...

One of the best "easy reading" on the Geopolitics of the Sea.

James Stavridis didn't take the pedagogic route , nor did he take the route of a boring historian. He sounded like exactly what he is -- an Admiral, and took the readers around the seas surrounding the planet earth and provided a brief, but still deep, understanding of the key Geopolitics of the respective body of waters.

I highly recommend this book /audio book for anyone who is interested about Sea Power.

Excellent review of sea power

A great review of the history of sea power and its application in today’s world.

Highly Recommend. Brilliant, engaging & thoughtful

Knowing that Admiral Jim Stavridis was shortlisted as a vice-presidential nominee for both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s campaigns I was looking forward to this treatise from such a widely respected and experienced four star admiral who now serves as Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. The Admiral presents a vivid, entertaining, thoughtful and brilliant blend of maritime history, geopolitics and international affairs across the entire globe. The book is peppered with anecdotes and personal experiences during his service in the Navy, from midshipman to four star admiral, which adds life to the text and gives it a personal tone. So much is written about the quest for territory, but a greater understanding of the oceans and sea power has been sorely needed. The book gives a view of the world looking onshore from the seas and of how sea power has shaped our history, civilization and geopolitics. The chapters are divided by each of the globe’s major bodies of water, the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic, Arctic, etc., a fascinating journey where you would be well-served to have a map near at hand. Stavridis’ analysis provides the reader with valuable insights regarding the current state of security in different areas of the globe and prescriptions to address some of the ongoing threats in the different regions, such as China’s emergence as a global maritime power and muscle in the South China Sea or how to deal with North Korea. He even provides a fascinating view of the strategic and commercial importance of the Arctic Ocean and the positions of different stakeholders. As former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe for NATO (the only admiral to hold that post) he also provides some very valuable insights on the importance of cooperation and uses of soft and hard power. Stavridis is not just a military man, but also a consummate diplomat and student of history and culture. A Renaissance Admiral. Stavridis' extensive knowledge and personal experience make the book not only interesting and enlightening but thankfully an accessible and entertaining experience to listen.

Excellent

Very educational with a touch of personal story. I strongly recommend it to anyone in the military or studying geopolitics.

Informative

A good overview for our oceans and seas. Although a little dated with things that are happening today.