exchanges that marked the interactions between the peoples of Asia, Oceania, and the Americas in the creation of "the Pacific World." Igler is well-suited to lead this new investigation of the Pacific Basin. From his posi tion at the Un iversiry of Califo rnia, Irvine, he has been a leading scholar of the American West, focusing primarily on environmental issues and the transformation of California. This work carries forward those themes, and sees th e Pacific Basin not as the end of American expansion, but as a continuum : the characteristics that marked Westward expansion-environmental destruction; hostile interactions with indigenous populations; economic growth and dislocation-were replicated in the wo rld beyo nd America's shores . These themes, in fact, were not just replicated but magnified, owing to the participation of multiple European and other nation-states. Additionally, The Great Ocean looks at the role that the wo rld's largest geographic feature has played in the development of military, political, and economic histo ry. The work skillfully blends environmental, economic, maritime, and social history together in one volume, exposing readers to several areas of historical inquiry. The Great Ocean looks at how Europea ns, Pacific Islanders, and others interacted in diverse ways. Wo rlds collided when
MARITIM E
BOOKS 1806 Laurel Crest Madison, Wisconsin 53705-1065 (608) 238-SAIL FAX (608) 238-7249 Email: tuttlemaritime@charter.net http ://tuttlemaritime.com Books about the Sea, Ship & Sailor Catalogue Upon Request
60
European and American seafarers came together with indigenous persons in the Pacific. Patterns of trade transfo rmed the region, as merchants and mariners introduced both new products and deadly diseases, and Igler skillfully uses data related to disease transmission to show the truly devastating impact that Europeans had on the region. Humans were not the only victims: a look at the Pacific whale fishery shows the impact of this activity on both economies and ecosystems. Igler also shows how, as trade fo llowed the flag, so did cultural genocide: the commodification of sex and the role of Christian miss ionaries in the region provides a fascinating case study of how different cultures mixed in the Pacific. Far from depicting the Pacific as existing in a vacuum, Igler is able to keenly tie events in this region to those that took place half a world away. The rise and fall of great powers such as Spain and the United States had a dramatic effect on the peoples of the Pacific, often with aggressive posturing, geopolitical intrigue, and frightening consequ ences. H e also delves into the social ramifications of this interaction, analyzing how Euro-American power struggles allowed local potentates to skillfully create a new role for themselves that showed a shrewd understanding of their new reality. Igler's analysis of the ways in which local co mmuniti es captured non-natives is an intriguing approach that forces us to rethink the power struggles that existed between Pacific Basin peoples and newcomers to the region. The Pacific wo rld became a huge laborato ry for those who were fascinated by the developments that were seen in the area, or who sought to catalog the fl ora and fauna rhat could be found here. In an interesting juxtaposition, Igler posits that the same Europeans who had devastated the region were, paradoxically, also at rhe forefront of preserving it. As is so often rhe case, environmentalism and economics ran counter ro one another in the creation of the Pacific World. In all, The Great Ocean raises important questions about the ways in which various gro ups have interpreted the Pacific Basin during a time of intense and often-catastrophic interactions. Ir also serves to remind us that where others have seen th e oceans as barriers to trade and cultural interac tion, these features generally-and th e Pacific in particular-are more accurately seen as fa-
cilitato rs of such exchange, connecting disparate societies and allowing for increased contact with others. Lastly, Igler adds immeasurably to the growing globalization of hisrory, utilizing a transoceani c perspecti ve to replace what had previously been interpreted as a story told in terms of the nations rate. The Great Ocean is wonderfully wellwritten and deserves a wide audience. It will no doubt garner many accolades, and it rewards a close read. In the words of the author, "The Pacific represented a vas t waterscape wh ere person al and imperial ambitions played out" and his work shows that, convincingly. David Igler is to be commended for his contributio n. TIMOTHY G. LYNCH Bronx, New York
In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage ofthe USS Jeannette by Hampron Sides (Doubleday, New York, 2014, 454pp, illus, maps, notes, biblio, ISBN 978-0-385-53537-3; $28.95 hc) Tales of the sea, especially of polar exploration during theAge of Sail, can ass ume an aura of heroism in pursuit of intangible, often unattainable goals. When the stakes are so high and the goal, one that offers no commercial benefit, is the axis of the earth's rotation at the North Pole, a modern reader might wo nder: "Why?" There's no simple answer, but Hampron Sides's new book In the Kingdom ofIce: The
Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette looks deeply inro the social fa bric of a bygone era, and from its many threads weaves a pattern almost as compelling roday as it was then. How could that myth of an open polar sea be so widely believed in 1879 against all common sense and the long experience of Arctic whalers? Why make the attempt, and who were the men who inspired the commissioning of the Jeannette in that fruitless, disaste r-strewn pursuit? Sides does an admirable job of answering these questions so completely that somehow it all does, in fact, make sense. In the process, he draws o ut full y the perso nalities that made the exp edition possible-newspaperman Jam es Gordon Bennett; the Jeannette's idealistic captain, George D elong, and his steadfast w ife, Emma; Danenhower, his navigaror; and Melville, his first engineer. Their humanity gives heart and soul ro this
SEA HISTORY 150, SPRING 20 15