To master the boundless sea : the U.S. Navy, the marine environment, and the cartography of empire / Jason W. Smith.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"As the United States grew into an empire in the late nineteenth century, notions like 'sea power' derived not only from fleets, bases, and decisive battles, but also from a scientific effort to understand and master the ocean environment. Beginning in the early nineteenth century and concluding in the first years of the twentieth, Jason W. Smith tells the story of the rise of the U.S. Navy and the emergence of American ocean empire through its struggle to control nature. In vividly told sketches of exploration, naval officers, war, and, most significantly, the ocean environment, Smith draws together insights from environmental, maritime, military, and naval history, and the history of science and cartography, placing the U.S. Navy's scientific efforts within a broader cultural context"-- Provided by publisher

Cover; Contents; List of Illustrations; Introduction: The Boundless Sea; 1. Wilderness of Waters; 2. Empire of Commerce and Science; 3. The Common Highway; 4. Conquering Old Ocean; 5. 'Twixt the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea; 6. Making War upon the Chart; Epilogue: Controlling the Great Common; Acknowledgments; Notes; Bibliography; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; M; N; O; P; R; S; T; U; W.

Online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on May 07, 2018).

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