Near and Far Waters

Colin Flint, a geographer by training, is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Political Science at Utah State University. His research interests include geopolitics and peacebuilding. He is the author of Near and Far Waters: The Geopolitics of Seapower (Stanford University Press, 2024), Introduction to Geopolitics (Routledge, 4th ed. 2022), Geopolitical Constructs: The Mulberry Harbours, World War Two, and the Making of a Militarized Transatlantic (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016), and co-author, with Peter Taylor of Political Geography: World-Economy, Nation-State and Locality (Routledge, 7th ed. 2018). He is editor emeritus of the journal Geopolitics. His books have been translated into Spanish, Polish, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese and Farsi.

• List of IllustrationsPrefaceIntroduction: The Geopolitics of Seapower1. What Is Geopolitics2. Strong and Weak Countries and Stories of Geopolitical "Threats"3. The Rise and Fall of Seapowers4. The Geopolitics of Near Waters and Far Waters5. The Geopolitics of Primary-Subsidiary Trade6. The Geopolitics of Innovation7. The Visions behind Force Projection8. No Island Is an IslandConclusion: The Gathering Storm Clouds of WarAcknowledgmentsSuggested ReadingsNotesIndex

"Our relationship with the sea matters. The three great powers in our contemporary global order, China, Russia and United States, recognize only too well the strategic, economic, resource and symbolic importance of poles, straits and waterways. In his auditing of the potential for global war, Colin Flint proves to be a shrewd observer of the personal and pertinent."—Klaus Dodds, author of The New Border Wars: The Conflicts That Will Define Our Future "I share Colin Flint's frustration and concern about the (mis)use of 'geopolitics' in media and politics. I welcome his attempt to share geopolitical insights from geography with the public to raise awareness about the importance of claims on waters, near and far, in conflicts between states. This analysis is crucial for attempts to promote diplomatic solutions over military aggression."—Virginie Mamadouh, Co-Chair of the Commission on Political Geography of the International Geographical Union (IGU-UGI) "After decades of globalization encroaching on our lives in all manner of activities, bad old-fashioned geopolitics has suddenly jumped out in front of us bearing nuclear weapons. We all need to be informed urgently about this geopolitical turn and there is no better person to undertake this task than Colin Flint."—Peter J. Taylor, Northumbria University "This engaging, accessible book sheds important light on how the projection of seapower has led to war in the past, and how it may do so again in the future. Colin Flint challenges readers to broaden their thinking about geopolitics. Near and Far Waters is an eye-opening contribution to understanding one of the central threats facing the world in the twenty-first century."—Alexander Murphy, University of Oregon "Insightful, provocative, and crisply written, Colin Flint provides a highly accessible introduction to the importance of geopolitics and sea power. For readers concerned with understanding the historical and geographical context of contemporary world politics, this is a must-read book."—James Tyner, Kent State University "Colin Flint rescues geopolitics from its 19th century box. This includes a fresh take on power projection, as well as inequality, trade, innovation, and the dynamics of hegemony. Near and Far Waters offers real analytical leverage for understanding growing great power rivalry and conflict."—Robert A. Denemark, University of Delaware "Written in an informal and accessible way, with lots of bon mots, [Near and Far Waters] is undoubtedly reader-friendly and the argument is clear and connected. Its conclusions make sense and often raise stimulating points to think about."—Geoffrey Till, The Naval Review "Flint's Near and Far Waters brings the fields of geography, economics, and history together in a geopolitical study of seapower that makes an important contribution to our effort to peel back the seablindness of the twenty-first century. If nothing else, the marginalia and markings that cover the pages of my review copy speak to the importance of this book and the contribution that it makes to today's thinking about nations and their relationships with the sea."—Benjamin Armstrong, H-Oceans "The concept of sea power is undergoing an international renaissance, as is the study of it. Colin Flint offers a foundational book for novice readers interested in learning about the geopolitics of sea power."—Elizabeth Buchanan, International Affairs "Near and Far Waters provides a tightly reasoned analysis of geopolitical factors, including expanding trade and innovation, increasingly predisposing rising sea powers to perceive a need to control near and distant waters.... Highly recommended."—C. W. Herrick, CHOICE