Revolution at Sea

Episode 39: Sung-Yoon Lee on North Korea and its Despotess (Bonus) Oct 31, 2023

In this bonus episode, John Curtis Perry has a conversation with Sung-Yoon Lee, expert on North Korea and author of the new book The Sister: North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the Most Dangerous Woman in the World.

Episode 38: Writing to be Read (Bonus) Jul 18, 2021

In this bonus episode, John Curtis Perry describes his practical methodology for writing with the reader in mind, helps writers navigate the rocky shores of stilted or formulaic prose, and celebrates the joy of carefully crafting text.

Announcement: What Comes Next May 07, 2021

With the publication this week of Episode 37: Postlude, John Curtis Perry’s podcast series Revolution at Sea is now complete. Do stay tuned, as we have something more in store; a bonus and very special episode, Writing to be Read, where Perry will share his advice on the art and joy of good writing. So please mark your calendars, for Sunday July 18th, when we will publish John Curtis Perry’s Writing to be Read.

Episode 37: Postlude May 07, 2021

In this final episode, the postlude book-ending the Revolution at Sea series, John Curtis Perry adds a few words as a sort of summary of our time together. "Together we have thought about some aspects of how the world of the terracentric has interacted with the world of the salt water (71% of the planet). We are living in a time of immense and rapid change as we grapple with the many dimensions of globalism that the ocean has provided to humanity, while serving as avenue, arena, and source, a shaper of the human experience. I hope that my remarks may have contributed to your understanding of what this means in the examples I have drawn from the past, and perhaps even to think about the implications for today."—John Curtis Perry.

Episode 36: China’s Oceanic Rebirth Apr 30, 2021

Millions of Chinese rise from poverty and support an authoritarian state with global ambitions for prominence. The Chinese declare that their system is superior to democracy. What does this mean for Americans?

Episode 35: China Sails Ahead Apr 23, 2021

Under Deng Xiaoping’s leadership, China opens to the outside world and builds a highly successful export economy. Logistics come first, Deng says.

Episode 34: China in its First Revolutionary Years Apr 16, 2021

“China stands up,” Mao says. At immense cost, China struggles in its early PRC years to make enormous political, economic, and social changes.

Episode 33: An Atlantic Model for China Apr 09, 2021

Having begun our discussion with China, we now return to it. We begin by looking at the nineteenth century when the Atlantic powers seized and occupied many ports, giving China an idea of what the outside world was like and what it then considered to be modern. For China, an age of bitterness.

Episode 32: Korea’s New Oceanic Mode Apr 02, 2021

South Korea, a severely impoverished nation in the 1950s had always been a continental state. Now isolated from the mainland by international politics, Korea has turned to the sea. In a remarkably short time it has made itself a rich maritime power. [Correction: South Korea and Japan normalized relations in 1965, not 1963.]

Episode 31: Japan in the New Pacific Mar 26, 2021

Japan, the first Asian nation to develop an export-driven economy, becomes a leader in salt water commerce. It has become the world’s third largest economy and plays an important role in international affairs.

Episode 30: A New Pacific Mar 19, 2021

The Pacific springs to new prominence as a trading center for obtaining resources to make goods and trading them globally via salt water.

Episode 29: A New Maritime Society Mar 12, 2021

The geography of shipping changes the nature of ports and ship design changes ships.

Episode 28: An Altered Seascape Emerges Mar 05, 2021

What freight do ships now carry and how does this change all our lives as producers and as consumers?

Episode 27: New Dimensions of Warfare Feb 26, 2021

Europe tears itself apart in warfare, which becomes global. New weaponry below the surface and above it complicate warfare at sea, during the two great wars.

Episode 26: North Atlantic Supremacy Feb 19, 2021

The Atlantic becomes a great avenue for the flow of trade and people.

Episode 25: Why Fight Spain? Feb 12, 2021

Emotion pushes war. And Americans end with an empire stretching to the far Pacific.

Episode 24: Americans Look at the Sea Again Feb 05, 2021

Exploiting new industry to modernize the navy, Americans begin to perceive its application to international affairs.

Episode 23: Americans Look Inward Jan 29, 2021

The maritime USA did not react quickly to changing uses of the sea, which the industrial world was creating.

Episode 22: The USA: Rising Power Jan 22, 2021

American space and resources enabled the rise of a new presence on the international seas. Establishing a powerful place in the world of sail, the nation falls into civil war.

Episode 21: Japanese Re-Emergence Jan 15, 2021

Japan opens to the outside world and makes itself an Asian international power.

Episode 20: New Entrants: Germany Dec 18, 2020

Germany emerges as a great power in the later 19th century and ultimately challenges Britain at sea.

Episode 19: Why Britain Prevailed Dec 11, 2020

A small Britain pushes aside France on the sea and becomes the world’s leading salt water power.

Episode 18: A New Empire Dec 04, 2020

Britain redefines its scope of empire by moving to the east.

Episode 17: A Great Transformation Nov 27, 2020

Now we move into a global maritime community, with the Atlantic world seizing the initiative and wielding it until the mid 20th century.

Episode 16: France as Oceanic Competitor Nov 20, 2020

Why did France fail to compete successfully with Britain at sea? What were Britain’s advantages?

Episode 15: New Oceanic Pathways Nov 13, 2020

Maritime Europe discovers the Pacific and we look at the life of the sailor.

Episode 14: Britain vs France Nov 06, 2020

A newly-united Britain, with growing prosperity and new markets, vigorously contests other maritime powers.

Episode 13: England Triumphs at Sea Oct 30, 2020

England admires and fights the Dutch, and begins to develop a powerful navy.

Episode 12: How did England Become a Sea Power Oct 23, 2020

Remarkable rulers strengthen the national government. At sea, privateers capture foreign wealth and popular admiration.

Episode 11: Early England and the Sea Oct 16, 2020

England takes on the sea, beginning to embrace it as part of its life.

Episode 10: Dutch Culture and Dutch Decline Oct 09, 2020

Dutch visual arts take on great brilliance and merchant society prospers. Yet gradually the vitality fades.

Episode 09: Characteristics of the Dutch Experience Oct 02, 2020

Digging further into the Dutch experience, we explore how this small nation could create such a dynamic and sweeping maritime presence.

We set sail next week Sep 25, 2020

Our summer shore leave is soon coming to an end, and the team at Revolution at Sea will be setting out again next week. Stay tuned for episode 9, Characteristics of the Dutch Experience.

Shore leave Aug 11, 2020

The crew of Revolution at Sea is taking a break this month. We will resume our series in September.

Episode 08: The Dutch Pelagic State Aug 07, 2020

The Dutch make the world’s first global trading state.

Episode 07: A Changing Oceanic Europe Jul 31, 2020

Northwestern Europe seizes oceanic leadership.

Episode 06: The Habsburg Castilian Empire Jul 24, 2020

Using the World Ocean, Spain creates a global colonial empire.

Episode 05: Portuguese Pioneers Jul 10, 2020

Portugal builds a global oceanic enterprise.

Episode 04: Iberia and Oceanic Revolution Jul 03, 2020

Iberia makes the Atlantic an inland sea for oceanic Europe

Episode 03: The Indian Ocean Jun 26, 2020

Peoples on the Indian Ocean were active seafarers. But, did they move beyond their region?

Episode 02: Early China and the Sea Jun 19, 2020

China enjoyed huge success on the continent, but how did it fare in exploring the sea?

Episode 01: The Austronesians Jun 11, 2020

Stepping back before recorded history to an amazing saga, we enter the vast open Pacific. This is the world of the Austronesian speakers.

Episode 00: Prelude May 23, 2020

John Curtis Perry invites us to embark in a wondrous journey through the centuries to explore the human history of the seas.

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