Show Notes
Author, builder, adventurer, sailor, and Emmy-award winning TV host Steve Thomas joins the podcast to discuss the revised, extended re-issue of his book The Last Navigator, originally published in 1987. After college Steve sailed a 40’ sloop from England to San Francisco via the Panama Canal, Galapagos, Marquesas and Hawaii. In the early 1980's, Steve journeyed to the remote Micronesian island of Satawal to learn the ancient skill of star path navigation under the late master navigator, Mau Piailug. His research resulted in the critically acclaimed book, The Last Navigator, and a one-hour documentary for PBS’s Adventure. It was in 1989, in between research trips to the Alaskan Arctic for a second Adventure book and film, that Steve got a call from the series publicist, who also worked for This Old House, whose producers were conducting a nationwide search for a new host ….. and the rest is history. J. Overton is co-host of the Sea Control podcast and edited the essay collection “Seapower by Other Means: Naval Contributions to National Objectives Beyond Sea Control, Power Projection, and Traditional Service Missions.”
More from Sea Control
Len Heinz joins the show to discuss his article "Battling Basques: As Spain descended into civil war in July 1936, the Basques had to choose a side—and build a navy" from the August 2026 issue of the Naval Institute’s Naval History magazine
Tom Marrotta, CEO of The Spaceport Company, joins the program to talk about the use of mobile offshore platforms for launching rockets, and the future of space access.
Dr. Siekiera is an international lawyer, a NATO consultant, and an Adjunct Professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, HI. She is also a non-resident fellow at Marine Corps University and a certified sailor. She previously joined us for Sea Control 537 to discuss Europe’s role in the Indo-Pacific.
Author David A. Smith joins Jonathan on the podcast to discuss his new book Mahan: The Life of Maritime Strategy's Greatest Revolutionary.
Jonathan interviews scholar Andrew Blackley about his new book Wielding the Trident: Admiral Raymond A. Spruance and America’s Victory in the Pacific. The two discuss Spruance’s career and his contribution to Allied victory in the Pacific War.