Let the Sea Make a Noise: A History of the North Pacific from Magellan to MacArthur

by Walter A. McDougall

Book Overview

In this exceptionally innovative work, Walter McDougall projects on a large screen four hundred years of exciting voyages of discovery, pioneering feats, engineering marvels, political plots and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0465051529
• ISBN13: 9780465051526
• Release Date: October 1993
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 816 Pages
• Weight: 2.95 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Waves of details and facts tempered with speculation

"Let the Sea Make a Noise" forges historical scholarship with insightful notions about the realms encompassing the north Pacific ocean. The author, Walter A. McDougall, spent untold hours researching and organizing minutia then interweaving vast history replete with sensory details; human and political failings, dreams, and successes; meteorological and geographic facts; and overlooked, obscure bits of history. Consequently, the book itself is somewhat overwhelming for it is nearly impossible to absorb this level of detail or maintain a clear understanding of the myriad relationships and ideologies. Of course, having too much detail is better than not enough in any book of this sort, and Mr. McDougall is never shy about throwing in what may be a touch of conjecture. One cannot really know what some of the many people profiled here might have been thinking, but ultimately the scope of the book prevails, and one must admire the tenacity and effort funneled in to this book. Be prepared to invest some time reading this history but be forewarned that you may have to put the book down from time to time to let the facts and information swamp you like a big wave.

This book did not make a noise when published but should hav

e. The tumultuous daring and suffering of the explorers of the North Pacific has never been so vividly and breathtakingly brought to life on the page. That this book should be written by an academic with a Ph.D no less makes it all the more amazing. This is narrative history as Francis Parkman would be writing it if alive today. Fanciers of Patrick O'Brien and the Forester novels should look into this book. Truth here is stanger than fiction--and just as well written.

An amazing addition to the storied history of the Pacific.

As a former student of Professor McDougall, I am fully aware of his many talents as a teacher and a writer. In Let the Sea Make a Noise, Professor McDougall shares all of his talents in a most enjoyable fashion.The running conversation between several of the siginficant personalities who shaped the history of the Pacific explains why events unfolded as they did. Although lighthearted at times, these conversations clearly set forth the policies and morals possessed by the nations who constantly struggled in this vast expanse.Similarly, Professor McDougall's descriptions of the significant events of this era are outstanding. It often feels like you are there. Most noteworthy, Professor McDougall cuts to the heart of the issues, shares only the essential facts, and demonstrates their significance. Thus, the reader can appreciate the complex multitiude of attitudes, personalities, and morals that caused nations to act the way they did.Always entertaining and certainly insightful, this book is a must read for any person interested in the history of this region.

An extremely original, creative, and thought-provoking book!

McDougall's book is excellent. I am a graduate student in Russian history who read this book for the first time while in between my master's and doctoral programs, and it was extremely influential in shaping the subsequent course of my program. I had long been fascinated by the fact that Russia is the only "European" nation that is also part of the Pacific Rim and once ruled Alaska. McDougall considers both these developments in due course, while fitting them into the larger context of the history of the North Pacific as a coherent region. He writes history in episodic chapters that give the book a sort of novelistic feel, complete with cliffhangers. Yet the book is not "dumbed-down" for a general audience. While not exactly scholarly (there are no footnotes, for example), it is obviously well-researched and presents many general questions for further consideration (or research). The book has the merit of focusing on the common history of regions not always thought of as connected: China, Japan, & Korea, Russia, the North American West, and Hawaii. It was a pleasure to read and inspired me greatly. It was enough to motivate me both to begin to study Chinese lanuage and take a year-long survey course on Japanese history. I cannot recommend McDougall's book highly enough!

Solid history you can't put down

I picked this book up on the recommendation of a friend. Since then, I have read it three times...and I almost never read history. McDougall has a knack for combining storytelling with history, so that general trends in the lands surrounding the Pacific are illustrated with fascinating stories about the people involved. This format is so effective that I found that after the first reading, I actually remembered all the salient features of McDougall's book (and probably bored my friends by sharing my exciting new knowledge with them on a road trip). His illustrative anecdotes combine with his knowledge of history to show you why people's actions made sense to them at the time. For example, why didn't the Russians consolidate their holdings in East Asia and Alaska? In hindsight, it looks crazy, but with McDougall and the characters (like Count Witte) that he brings to life, you understand and sympathize. McDougall's book contains a certain amount of subtle U.S. nationalism, tempered by criticism of stupid American policies, past and present. It is not jingoistic, but rather cognizant of the fact that of all the governments jockeying around the Pacific, the U.S. was about the most enlightened. So if you ever wanted to know why a relatively advanced island nation like Japan never really opened up to the world, why British Columbia almost became part of the U.S., how close Russia came to owning the West Coast down to California (they built a fort there, once), or how the U.S. got the whole Louisiana purchase when they really wanted New Orleans, read this book. You won't be sorry.