Sea Power by Admiral James Stavridis

Sea Power, a book written by Admiral James Stavridis is about the history and geopolitics of the world's oceans & seas. Admiral Stavridis is a retired four star admiral of the US Navy and the first Admiral appointed as the supreme allied commander of NATO. In a multi decade career with the US Navy he has commanded battleships and a carrier strike force around the world. He also holds a PhD in International Relations, is currently Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tuff's University and a Managing Director at the global private equity firm, Carlyle. 

Admiral Stavridis is a prolific writer, has written many books besides this one and his TED talks attract a large viewership. To get more information about him, you can visit his website https://admiralstav.com/

When a four star admiral of the US Navy who was also the supreme allied commander of NATO writes a book on Sea Power, it becomes a must read. Sea Power shares incredible details about all of the Earth's oceans. The unique perspective that Admiral Stavridis can bring is he has seen all these oceans at close quarters having sailed across them as part of the US Navy. 

The book commences with the largest one, the Pacific followed by the Atlantic. These are the two oceans of paramount importance for the US Navy but also for the world at large. The next stop is the Indian Ocean which is smaller than the first two but rapidly gaining in importance followed by the Mediterranean Sea, the South China Sea, The Caribbean and The Arctic Ocean. 

Each of the chapters share the maritime history of the ocean body from antiquity till the commencement of the 20th century. The admiral goes into interesting details around naval battles and waterborne trade to give the reader a good insight into each of these key water bodies. He then goes into a bit more detail around the recent past including key naval battles from WWI, WWII and those that have occured in the past few decades including ones where he has had first hand involvement. 

These chapters give the reader an excellent perspective around the dynamics of each of these oceans and seas. One can clearly walk away appreciating the similarities, differences and challenges after reading them. My personal favourite is the one on the Arctic, a fascinating water body that is going to become an extremely dynamic geography in the next decade or so. The Arctic is where the US and NATO will face off with Russia, climate change will play a pivotal role in defining the geography and the ocean could become the new frontier for mining and exploration of natural resources and the backbone of world trade. 

The second last chapter talks about three vital aspects of oceans which we might not consider as very important but the Admiral explains exactly why we are wrong in our thinking. The first issue is the deadly menace of piracy, then is the intensive and unregulated fishing industry and finally the environmental degradation of the oceans. All these three topics are extremely critical that impact each of us and getting the insight via the book was eye opening. With regard to piracy, I should add, the Admiral was personally responsible for organising a massive task force involving NATO plus the likes of Russia, China, India, Pakistan & Iran to combat it. Hence, the insights just on this topic alone are incredible given his first hand experiences. 

In the final chapter, Admiral Stavridis addresses the naval strategies and challenges for the US, NATO and its allies. How the grand geopolitical maps & plans to control the world's oceans will pan out over the next few decades. How players like China and Russia could pose threats to the world order and how naval tactics including undersea warfare could evolve. He shares valuable insights into the doctrines of Alfred Mahan (father of US Naval strategy) but then provides additional perspective into how the doctrines of Mahan need to adapt to the modern world and rise up to new challenges.

Sea Power is an excellent book written by an extremely knowledgeable author who has had first hand insights into the world of seas and oceans. We don't seem to fully fathom the importance of oceans hence this book is a great read to reinforce that we are more water than land and understanding our oceans and the power that comes from them is vitally important to our present and fundamental to our future.

      

https://www.amazon.sg/Sea-Power-History-Geopolitics-Worlds/dp/0735220611/ref=asc_df_0735220611/?tag=googleshoppin-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=404127552673&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16979480338693770386&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9062546&hvtargid=pla-525156634451&psc=1

To Rule the Waves - Bruce D. Jones

To Rule the Waves is a book written by Bruce D Jones, a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. The book illuminates how the control of the world's oceans shapes the fates of the superpowers. Bruce directs the Project on International Order and Strategy of the Foreign Policy Program at Brookings and is therefore optimally placed to write about maritime strategies, world order and the power of nations. The book has been published by Simon & Schuster, Inc in 2021 and hence provides a very updated insight into some of the most critical issues such as the South China Sea militarisation which directly affects us living in Asia. 

The book has four parts that are closely linked with each other. It commences by giving readers a glimpse into the vastness of the sea borne trade and the importance of oceans to the power & wealth of nations and ends with challenges including that of climate change and demonstrating the importance of oceans vis-a-vis the climate discussion. 

The oceans are not just an empty bottomless abyss but a thriving ecosystem where control of strategic locations is as vital and in many cases more vital than strategic locations on land. Since 1492 and 1498 when Columbus discovered the New World and Vasco de Gamma discovered the sea route via the Cape of Good Hope to India; the world changed and the control of oceans became paramount for wealth and power [my views]. 

The rise of sea or maritime power has been on a continuos ascendency. The book shares insights into how this phenomenon evolved, first with the Portuguese who were closely followed by the Spanish and then by the Dutch, French and finally the British. By the turn of the 20th century, the British had become the pre-dominant power in the world on the back of the Royal Navy which operated a blue water navy across the entire world. After WW2, the Americans would follow suit in the tradition of the Royal Navy and develop the finest Navy the world has ever seen. 

The book shares important but critical insights especially into the workings of the United States which is the preeminent power in the world. Unlike the common perception of national borders being the first line of defence of a country, national borders are infact the last line of defence for the United States. Lets introduce here Alfred Thayer Mahan - the brilliant naval strategist of the US and author of a pivotal book "Influence of Sea Power Upon History" written in the late 1800s which has shaped much of the doctrine of the United States' navy and a book that offers a deep insight into the workings of a blue water navy.  

Mahan's critical concept being the wealth and prosperity of a nation is linked to (a) a strong and powerful merchant fleet to carry goods & merchandise across the world (b) an unmatched navy to protect the merchant fleet and keep the sea lanes open for trade and commerce (c) forward projection of power, far away from the country's national borders, via a series of mutually reinforcing forward bases. For the best example of the last point, the reader is advised to open a map of the Pacific ocean and plot the US bases from San Diego all the way to South Korea and the concept becomes all too apparent. 

Containerisation & Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEU). The development of the container shipping phenomenon and the growth of sea borne trade has been in lock step. Since the commencement of the container industry in the 1960s this industry has grown by leaps and bounds and has transformed the way we consume goods. The graph below (World Bank) shows the incredible rise of container shipping as measured in TEU units over the past few decades coinciding with the rise of China and the Western Pacific.

Growth in world containerisation measured in TEU 

East Asian economies now dominate the sea borne trade with massive manufacturing hubs dotting the Western Pacific. The largest ports used to American ports and some western European ports in 1960s. Now all the largest ports in the world unsurprisingly are in East Asia with Shanghai ranked 1 and Singapore following close behind demonstrating how the axis has shifted to the Pacific.  https://www.worldshipping.org/top-50-ports 

Shanghai and the other Chinese ports are truly breathtaking in size and complexity. The author talks about his visit to Yangshan Port in Shanghai and shares valuable insights into the development of this super critical world trade port. I was fortunate to have visited Port Waigaoqiao in Shanghai in 2010 and below are some pictures from that visit which I have taken the liberty to share. 

Copper Cathodes Stored in Shanghai Port Free Trade Zone

Chinese port workers weighing the copper

Thats me in front of a large pile of Copper in the port

China, Singapore and South Korea now have the most integrated shipping networks in the world and their companies dominate sea borne commerce and trade. The Chapters - To Contain the World share deep insights including the rise of some iconic shipping companies like Maersk and OOCL which played a critical role in the development of container shipping industry which in turn changed the world we live in. As the industry has grown and developed, so have the ships that carry this massive volume of trade. The early container ships in the 60s had a capacity ranging between 1,000 - 3,000 TEUs. Today the largest container ship has a size of c. 24,000 TEU, not surprisingly owned by the Taiwanese shipping line Evergreen. 

The Flag Follows the Trade - The US navy, as mentioned above, enjoys unmatched supremacy and controls the world's seas and oceans. Through a combination of large military budgets, cutting edge technologies, mutually reinforcing forward bases and a world wide alliance with other leading nations of the world, the US has secured a pivotal role in controlling the seas and ensuring freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. 

Enter China!! Since the early 2000s, on the back of incredible economic growth, China has come a new power to challenge the presence of the US. China has embarked on a spree to upgrade and modernise its armed forces and notably its navy. Export of finished goods is critical to China as is the import of raw materials and energy and this is a key vulnerability for the country as all this takes place via sea lanes. China recognised that in a clash with the US it would suffer immeasurably as the US navy controls the water all around China. The US could literally 'choke' China if matters came to a head. 

This prompted China to upgrade its naval capabilities and it started to gain knowledge and confidence first with anti piracy operations far from its own territorial waters. Since then, the rise of the PLAN has put the world in general and the US in particular on notice. This section of the book will chronicle key strategies adopted by the Chinese and US in the control of the sea lanes around China and the Western Pacific. Bruce has shared some very interesting insights and perspectives which make for fascinating reading.   

The Power of the Seas - We maybe lulled into believing that as we continue to make progress it will be the world of high tech that will dominate societies and will be more critical than the transshipment of goods on the high seas. Even if we did subscribe to this notion (which is rather flawed) we cannot forget that more than 90% of the data in the world in carried via undersea cables! The seas and oceans are now even more vital in the data driven, cyber economy and hence protecting this vital infrastructure is paramount. 

The seas and oceans are also an incredible source of sustenance as well. A large percentage of the world's population relies on fish and sea food as a critical source for its dietary needs. Then there are the mineral riches from the seas from oil to natural gas production. All this makes for even heightened control & competition for the seas and oceans. [for more deeper insights into the development of the offshore oil industry my suggestion would be to read the book The Prize by Daniel Yergin]. 

One also cannot ignore the role of water, seas and oceans when it comes to our climate. Through sustained research initially carried out by the UK and US but now by most leading nations of the world, we have come to understand the importance of the oceans in the area of climate. Oceans, currents, temperature differences, ice caps, the inter play between oceans and winds all play a vital role in our evolving climate systems. Further, the incredible ability of the oceans to absorb heat has led to further research around oceans, climate change and global warming. 

"Once oceans were the boundary of our existence; now they are the front lines of the new rivalries that will shape the twenty - first century". This sentence aptly summarises the essence of this excellent book. Will the oceans and the Pacific in particular become a hostile and hotly contested fault line or will seas and oceans continue to further trade, innovation and connections is a question for all of us to debate. Finally, we know so little about the oceans despite they being front and center of our existence. Hence, is it time for the major powers to bury their differences and instead work on transnational issues and better understand and respect the seas and oceans around us? To get some of these answers and better shape your opinions, do buy and read this book!

https://www.amazon.com/Rule-Waves-Control-Determines-Superpowers/dp/1982127252

    

The Pacific Ocean - Some Interesting Facts

The Pacific Ocean is this vast body of water and understanding it is vital to understanding the Earth. Besides understanding it from a scientific perspective, the Pacific Rim is now the most vibrant and dynamic part of the world, dotted with the largest economies, high technology hubs and powerful armies and navies. The note below shares some important facts and features of the Pacific ocean and I have included links to a few YouTube videos to provide additional information or context. Happy reading and learning!

Size - The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of all the ocean bodies on the Earth. At 165m sq Km it is larger than all the land masses on Earth put together. It's widest section from Indonesia to Colombia spans around 19,800 km and the Pacific ocean amounts to 28% of the Earth's surface. The Pacific contains around half the Earth's entire water which is not surprising given its large area. Islands dot the entire Pacific and there are more than 20,000 of these islands in the ocean, each unique geographies and cultures. The Pacific ocean is also shrinking in size at the rate of around 0.5sq km per annum with a corresponding increasing offset of the Atlantic ocean due to phenomena called plate tectonics and subduction. 

Discovery - Whist indigenous people have been living across the various Pacific islands for thousands of years, the modern discovery of the Pacific is attributed to the Portuguese explorer - Vasco Nunez de Balboa in 1513 when he crossed the Isthmus of Panama and sighted the Pacific. Ferdinand Magellan first recorded the crossing of the Pacific in 1521 and also gave it the name that stands till today 'The Pacific Ocean" - the peaceful sea. Since then, the European powers greatly expanded their ambit of presence & conquest in the Pacific including the Spanish, Dutch, French, German & English and established various colonial outposts across the Pacific and in latter years were matched by the Americans. The Americans now have many military bases dotted across the Pacific and control of the Pacific is vital for the American navy. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uE4pWxMbmg] 

Weather & Climate - Oceans in general and the Pacific in particular have immense heat storing capabilities. Oceans also provide for the intersections of warm and cold water and the Pacific is infamous of key weather related events like El Nino and La Nina because of the vast and critical interchange between the oceans and atmosphere. The great size of the Pacific and especially given large parts of the ocean lie between the Tropics make it the largest area covered by the Trade Winds and hence a key driver of global climate and weather patterns. The eastern boundary of the Pacific experiences storms called Hurricanes which are called Typhoons in the Western Pacific. The Pacific is also a region of high rainfall. 

Deepest Trench - The Challenger Deep, part of the Marianas Trench is the deepest known point on the Earth. Crescent shaped, the trench is around 11 Km deep. The trench is located close to the Island of Guam. The trench is deeper than Mt. Everest and the pressure at the bottom is more than 1,000 bar. More people have walked on the moon than on the Marianas Trench and thus remains a highly un-explored region. Despite the high pressure and completely absence of sunlight, complex life forms exist even in the deepest parts of the ocean which has resulted in new scientific discoveries around the origin of life on the planet  [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VRnNHSqNKo] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0G68ORc8uQ] 

Tallest Mountain - Mauna Kea one of the six volcanic mountains that have formed the island of Hawaii is the world's tallest mountain at 9,966m in height. However, as a large part of Mauna Kea lies below the sea level, Mount Everest remains the tallest peak measured from mean sea level.  

Garbage - There is a significant amount of debris and garbage in Pacific ocean caused by indiscriminate dumping by humans. There are infact two established garbage patches, the Western garbage patch located near Japan and the Eastern garbage patch near Hawaii. Garbage accumulates in these regions largely because of the specific nature of the Pacific ocean currents. The garbage is mostly plastic as it does not bio degrade and a large component of this is micro plastic. The garbage resides not only at the surface but will sink into the lower portions of the ocean as well. The accumulation of garbage in the Pacific has now become a gigantic problem and since the patches are located in regions far from any country, the chances of a clean up are remote unfortunately. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtaNqGyHkNE] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsjvwQclGLo]

Ring of Fire - The Pacific Plate and plate tectonics are at the heart of the ring of fire. The ring of fire is located all around the edges of the Pacific Ocean and is the home of volcanic activity and earthquakes. More than 80% of the world's volcanoes and devastating earthquakes (c. 90%) happen around the Pacific fault lines dotted by the ring of fire. One of the reasons is the faster movement of the Pacific plate (the largest tectonic plate) relative to other tectonic plates in the region. Processes including subduction play a critical role that results in frequent instability and earthquakes. The largest and most deadly volcanic eruption that took place in recorded history was Krakatoa (other was Tambora also in Indonesia) in Indonesia in 1883. Explosions were heard nearly 4,000 miles away and ash and projectile was propelled to a distance of 80 km upwards. Tsunami waves crossed a 100ft and more than 30,000 people died as a result of this explosion. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q1Ur3Z6dT0]

Pacific Rim - Islands in the Pacific and nations that border the Pacific ocean are today the most vibrant and dominant part of the global economy. Billions live in and around the coastal regions of the Pacific including the West Coast of N America, Japan, Korea, China and Indonesia. Dominant economies dot the edges of the Pacific making this the most dynamic region in the world connected by the vast expanse of the Pacific ocean. The Pacific rim is the world's leading technology hub. 

Great Barrier Reef (GBF) - The GBF located off the eastern coast of Australia is one of the seven wonder of the natural world, is larger than the Great Wall of China and is the only living creature that is visible from outer space. Stretching 2,300km, it is the largest coral reef foundation in the world. Climate Change is making very visible impacts on the GBF with coral bleaching being one of them. 

Point Nemo - The remotest point on Earth, Point Nemo, is an imaginary location in the Pacific Ocean. It lies about 2,700 km from the nearest land body. When boats pass close to Point Nemo they are closer to the International Space Station than to any land body on Earth. Point Nemo has also become a dumping ground for decommissioned satellites, space stations etc given its remoteness. The only humans who get close to the imaginary Point Nemo are those that take place in the Volvo ocean race.     

Hawaii & Pearl Harbour - Dec 7, 1941 is forever etched in the history of the Pacific especially the United States and Japan. The day after the attack, FDR and Congress declared war on Japan and formally entered WW2 and decisively changed the outcome of the great war. The surprise attack by Japan disabled the US Pacific fleet with a number of ships and destroyers damaged. Miraculously the air craft carriers of the US escaped this attack by the Japanese and they would play a critical role in future engagements with the Japanese. More than 2,000 US servicemen died in the Pearl Harbour attack which FDR declared "a day that will live in infamy".  The Pacific thereafter saw significant naval and military engagements between Japan and the Allied forces (principally the US) including the infamous island hopping campaign and notable sea battles like Coral Sea and Midway. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvInlqvE8IU] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kipF5zoCGAk] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB5hH3ksvKE]  

Atomic Age - The Pacific rim has seen two of the most devastating bombs in the history which detonated at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945. These two atomic weapons killed thousands and hastened the unconditional surrender of Japan and brought an end to WW2. Since then, the US, UK and France have tested a number of atomic weapons across the Pacific given the remoteness and vastness of the ocean. The Pacific therefore is the first and only atomic ocean. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFUVN0pJayY] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fq3WRPr2qQ] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCtxSlH0DK0] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1up-TRMxdo]

Galapagos - The Galapagos are islands in the Pacific that are distributed on both sides of the equator and form part of Ecuador. The Galapagos are inextricably linked to Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection. It was his five week visit in 1835 to these Pacific islands that led Darwin to observe that species whilst similar from island to island were perfectly suited and adapted for the environment they lived in. His theories considerably advanced work and thought leadership around natural selection, evolution and origin of species. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOiUZ3ycZwU]

Pacific by Simon Winchester

Pacific : Silicon Chips & Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators and Fading Empires by Simon Winchester as the name suggests is a book about the Pacific Ocean. Simon is a prolific writer and has written numerous books on diverse subjects including leading personalities, events, the Earth and the world around us. I had bought a book written by Simon last year and was not impressed by it; the book is titled Land. I would not recommend that book titled 'Land'. I chanced upon this book - Pacific whilst browsing the National Library in Singapore for some interesting reads. The index looked appealing and hence I borrowed the same to further my curiosity and evaluate how this book would be.

The book is well written and is rather innovative. Simon looks at the Pacific from many dimensions and not just as a body of water. The Pacific is now the most interesting and dynamic region of the world and has supplanted the Atlantic in terms of importance, size and preeminence. The Pacific is home to the world's largest economies, most powerful navies, cutting edge high tech hubs, hot beds for scientific research especially around climate change & oceanography and is surrounded by more than two billion people along its eastern and western coastlines. Most critically, the Pacific is where the new fault lines are emerging replacing Germany which was the fault line during the cold war with the Russians in the 20th century. 

The book has numerous chapters covering a multitude of issues. In this review, I shall cover top four chapters that I felt were unique to the Pacific ocean and the Pacific rim and extremely interesting. A review of these four chapters should generate enough interest for the reader to read the entire book in detail. 

The interesting aspect about the book is the way it has been written. To elaborate further, let me cite one example. A key feature of the Pacific rim is the presence of dominant economies on both the Eastern and Western Pacific with incredible volume and value of trade, commerce and investment flowing back and forth. Simon charter's this growth and development by sharing insights about Sony Corporation's rise after WW2 as a specific case in point and then balances this out with a more expansive view on trade and development of industry & manufacturing across the Pacific rim countries. This is a common theme that will run across many chapters and that's what makes this book different and interesting. 

Mr. Ibuka's Radio Revolution - the first part of this chapter is dedicated to the rise of Sony Corporation, a company founded by two engineers Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, who is the more well known personality of the two. Sony was born from the aftermath of WW2 as the nation began its incredible rise from the ashes (literally) and at a time when 20% of Tokyo suffered from tuberculosis and there was no semblance of any law and order or infrastructure. 

Sony exemplifies the West Pacific rim manufacturing story centred around precision, miniaturisation, high quality, scale, perfection and innovation especially in the field of consumer electronics. The chapter begins with the foundations of Sony Corp, its foray into transistor radios and building from there into a range of consumer devices that marry the machine to the artist, by amusing and entertaining the individual and playing on emotions and sentiments. Times have changed and since 2014 Japan has become a net importer of consumer electronics; an industry it spawned and dominated. Whilst Japan may have faded, its place was taken up by other Pacific Rim regions like South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and then of course China. The current axis is firmly anchored across China and the US which marks a seismic shift for the US and in turn generates a lot of challenges. With Japan, the US relationship was with a country that was an enemy but became a friend; with China on the other hand, it is a country that was an ally but now turning into an adversary. 

Of Masters & Commanders - Oct 26, 2006 - year zero when Chinese naval ambitions perceptibly changed. As you may have guessed this chapter is about US and Chinese naval supremacy for the waters of the Pacific, the US forward projection of power and the Chinese attempts to deter the US and create a wide buffer zone for its own navy. Whilst 2006 was the year when a Chinese submarine tailed and came within striking distance of the USS Kitty Hawk, an American aircraft carrier, this chapter starts with events much earlier. It commences in 1991 with the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo that rendered useless the two critical US bases in the South China Sea / Pacific - Subic and Clarke (in the Philippines) thus considerably weakening America's power in that part of the world. The chapter elaborates on the militarisation of the South China Sea,  The First Island Chain defence for China, The American pivot to the Pacific, Anti Access / Area Denial concept, Air Sea Battle counter, Admiral Liu Huaqing [https://cimsec.org/father-modern-chinese-navy-liu-huaqing/], Andrew Marshall [https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/andrew-marshall-brain-pentagon-passed-away/588952/] and steps & counter steps taken by China and America in what is now a clear escalating arms and naval race.  

Echoes of a Distant Thunder - Cyclone Tracy that hit Darwin in the 70s and Haiyan the super Typhoon that hit Philippines in 2013 are just two of the many devastating weather events that impact the Pacific rim. The Pacific is where the storms with the greatest intensities tend to get generated and their frequency is significantly greater than say the Atlantic ocean. The vastness of the Pacific ocean, coupled with a large part of the Pacific water body located between the two Tropics means it becomes a significant reservoir of heat, energy and hence weather patterns. The Pacific is also home to the most important weather phenomenon namely ENSO El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. The ENSO is now considered to be the most critical and important weather pattern and disruption event that occurs in the Pacific Ocean but impacts global weather patterns. 

Fires in the Deep - February 1977, one of the greatest maritime discoveries of all time happened in the Pacific. It was the discovery of deep ocean hydro thermal vents that changed many views about the origins of life and of incredible minerals and wealth at the bottom of the oceans. Life forms discovered around the hydrothermal vents defied the existing reasoning demonstrating that active life forms existed at unheard of depths, where the pressure is significant, there is complete absence of sunlight, warmth and no known established nutrients. A seminal paper was written in Science on this phenomenon [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226614578_The_Prokaryotes] due to the deep under sea / ocean work carried out in the Pacific. 

In addition, work carried in the deep oceans like the Pacific confirmed the existence of underwater mountains, ridges, valleys, eruptions and plate tectonic theories. The unique tectonic architecture of the Pacific plate (which is the largest tectonic plate on Earth) and its jostling with other plates creates the unique but deadly Ring of Fire around the Pacific rim. This deadly Ring of Fire encapsulates more than 400 active volcanoes and deadly earth quakes caused by the movement of the Pacific plate against the other plates in the region. 

Besides these four chapters there are many other chapters that share wonderful insights and secrets around the Pacific ocean including a chapter on the Korean war, garbage floating in the Pacific, the fragile ecosystem of the Pacific including the world of corals. growth of Hong Kong and the handover of Hong Kong from the UK to the Chinese and atomic testing programs in the Pacific. 

There is a wealth of knowledge to be obtained by reading many of the chapters in this book. The power of the Pacific, what lies beneath it and around its rim makes for fascinating reading. This is a book that should be read by anyone interested in science, climate, and the geopolitics around the most dynamic region in the world - the Pacific.  

https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Silicon-Surfboards-Dictators-Empires/dp/0062315420