When, why and in what ways did modern historians turn their attention to oceanic encounters and crossings? In this episode of the Blue Humanities podcast, presenter Jonathan Bate talks to David Armitage, Lloyd Blankfein Professor of History at Harvard University, about the Atlantic and Pacific turns in historiography. Professor Armitage has written, edited and contributed to many books in the field, including The British Atlantic World (2002, 2009), Essays in Atlantic History (2004), Pacific Histories (2014) and, most recently, Oceanic Japan: The Archipelago in Pacific and Global History (University of Hawai’i Press, 2025). Their discussion ranges from the extinction of the Steller’s sea cow to a floating operatic stage featured in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace. You can follow Jonathan on Twitter/X here and the Humanities Institute here.For more on ASU's Blue Humanities Initiative, follow this link.New episodes featuring leading scholars will be uploaded regularly.This episode was edited by Dave Waugh at Scrubcast.Music: from Claude Debussy, La Mer (rights-free recording).

Ver todos los episodios