Russian spies. Nuclear submarines. Sabotaged pipelines. Undersea communications severed in the dark of night. The fastest-warming place on earth, the Arctic stands at the crossroads of geopolitical ambition and environmental catastrophe. As climate change thaws the northern latitudes, opening once ice-bound shipping lanes and access to natural resources, the world’s military powers are rushing to stake their claims in this increasingly strategic region. We’ve entered a new cold war—and every day it grows hotter.
In Polar War, Kenneth R. Rosen takes readers on an extraordinary journey across the changing face of the far north. Through intimate portraits of scientists, soldiers, and Indigenous community leaders representing the interests of twenty-one countries across four continents, he witnesses firsthand how rising temperatures and growing tensions are reshaping life above and below the Arctic Circle. He finds himself on the trail of Navy SEALs training for arctic warfare, embarks on Coast Guard patrols monitoring Russian incursions, participates in close-quarter-combat training aboard foreign icebreakers in the Arctic sea ice, and visits remote research stations where international cooperation is giving way to espionage and the search for long-frozen biological weapons.
Join us for a conversation between the author and our moderator, Dr. Rachael Gosnell. Dr. Gosnell has extensive operational and academic expertise in the Arctic, serving as a career U.S. Navy surface warfare officer, strategist, and foreign area officer. She has taught at both the U.S. Naval Academy and George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. She holds a PhD in International Security and Economic Policy from the University of Maryland College Park, with her doctoral work focusing on U.S. Arctic strategies and security dilemma dynamics. She holds a Master’s degree in International Security Studies from Georgetown University and a Master’s in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University, as well as a Bachelors of Science in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy. Gosnell has published and lectured extensively on the Arctic, to include the evolving maritime domain, economic developments, and regional security.
The event will be in-person and live online.
Admission is free, please register here → https://eveeno.com/kennethrosen
To watch the livestream → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuZokQheyVw
There is no need to register to watch online
There will be a drinks reception for all at Amerikahaus following the event.