Seapower to Superpower: The Story of Global Supremacy

For more than 350 years, England's Royal Navy dominated the seas, preserving the sprawling British Empire. During the 20th century, however, the balance of power shifted and the United States emerged as the world's prime superpower even as the arena of warfare moved from the sea to the air and theoretically further to the frontiers of outer space. In the five-hour survey Seapower to Superpower, historian Mark Milner and Yale professor Paul Kennedy illustrate how this transfer took place, looking at every major war, far-reaching technological advancement, and mitigating economic factor along the way. The first hour begins with England's defeat of the Spanish Armada, with subsequent episodes tracing Britannia's rule of the waves until World War II, when the decline of the British Empire coincided with the rise of the U.S. in military might, concluding with a look at the most recent developments in space exploration and their effects on global supremacy. Boasting solid archival footage and stills, this enlightening overview of the intersection between military and technological advances and world politics is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Carlson)