Tuesday Talks: Dr. Andrew Wilson, Professor US Naval War College, “The Ultimate Rowing Machine: The Ancient Greek Trireme”

The sleek and deadly trireme ruled the waves of the ancient Mediterranean. At 120 feet long and propelled by 170 elite oarsmen, this wooden torpedo was capable of 10 knots in combat and was tipped by a diabolical bronze ram, and yet was light enough to be hauled out of the water at the end of the day. The trireme defined naval warfare as well as the maritime power of ancient commercial empires, such as those of the Athenians, Phoenicians, and the Carthaginians.  It was in Athens, however, where the trireme became synonymous, paradoxically, with both empire and democracy. Neither of those were conceivable without this masterpiece of nautical technology and human muscle. Professor Wilson will explore the construction and employment of this “ultimate rowing machine,” as well as the wide-ranging influences that the trireme had on the culture, society, and politics and economics of Fifth Century BCE Greece.

Andrew R. Wilson is the John A. Van Beuren Chair of Asia-Pacific Studies and Professor of Strategy & Policy at the United States Naval War College in Newport, RI, the world’s oldest and most prestigious center for senior military education.  An old “China Hand,” Andrew received his Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and earned a Ph.D. in History and East Asian Languages from Harvard.

Professor Wilson has published numerous articles and books on the Chinese diaspora, Chinese military history, and the history of maritime Asia. Professor Wilson’s research interests are not limited to history; He has also written on Chinese strategic culture, contemporary Asian security, Chinese politics, and Chinese military modernization. In addition, he is an expert on strategic thought and formerly served as the Naval War College’s Philip A. Crowl Professor of Comparative Strategy.

Before joining the Naval War College faculty in 1998, Wilson taught introductory and advanced courses in Chinese history and the history of the Chinese diaspora at Harvard and at Wellesley College. He has also taught at Salve Regina University and at the University of Rhode Island’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). An award-winning educator and dynamic lecturer, Professor Wilson has spoken at numerous military colleges and civilian universities across the United States and around the world, has been featured on the History Channel and National Public Radio, and has been a guest lecturer for One Day University, Scientific American, The New York Times Journeys, and National Geographic. Professor Wilson is also an inveterate traveler and fanatical foodie. He has lived in China, Taiwan, and the Philippines and makes annual trips to Asia, frequently accompanied by students and faculty from the Naval War College.

Beyond Andrew’s numerous publications, he has also taught for the Great Courses: with lecture series on The Art of War, Masters of War: History’s Greatest Strategic Thinkers, and Understanding Imperial China: Dynasties, Lives and Cultures.