Oceanographers And The Cold War: Disciples Of Marine Science [Hardcover]

Jacob Darwin Hamblin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 2005

"Oceanographers and the Cold War" is about patronage, politics, and the community of scientists. It is the first book to examine the study of the oceans during the Cold War era and explore the international focus of American oceanographers, taking into account the roles of the U.S. Navy, United States foreign policy, and scientists throughout the world. Jacob Hamblin demonstrates that to understand the history of American oceanography, one must consider its role in both conflict and cooperation with other nations. Paradoxically, American oceanography after World War II was enmeshed in the military-industrial complex while characterized by close international cooperation. The military dimension of marine science - with its involvement in submarine acoustics, fleet operations, and sea-launched nuclear missiles - coexisted with data exchange programs with the Soviet Union and global operations in seas without borders. From an uneasy cooperation with the Soviet bloc in the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58, to the NATO Science Committee in the late 1960s, which excluded the Soviet Union, to the U.S. Marine Sciences Council, which served as an important national link between scientists and the government, "Oceanographers and the Cold War" reveals the military and foreign policy goals served by U.S. government involvement in cooperative activities between scientists, such as joint cruises and expeditions. It demonstrates as well the extent to which oceanographers used international cooperation as a vehicle to pursue patronage from military, government, and commercial sponsors during the Cold War, as they sought support for their work by creating 'disciples of marine science' wherever they could.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Oceanographers and the Cold War knits together scholarship in the history of science, diplomatic history, naval/military history, and political history, and will appeal to several audiences, including anyone interested in Cold War history. Indeed, as Hamblin points out, many people don't realize that Sputnik--that Cold War icon--emerged from the context of international marine science." Helen M. Rozwadowski, author of The Sea Knows No Boundaries and Fathoming the Ocean

About the Author

Jacob Darwin Hamblin is a lecturer in history at California State University in Long Beach.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 346 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Washington Pr (March 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295984821
• ISBN-13: 978-0295984827
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,495,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jake Hamblin is the author of Poison in the Well, Oceanographers and the Cold War, and numerous essays on environmental history, history of science, and the history of technology. He cares about the future of the earth, and he is a nut about knowing the past. He lives with his family in a rainy paradise--Corvallis, Oregon--where he teaches courses at Oregon State University.