the Cables That Bind World: Undersea and Infrastructure of Global Power

The internet's backbone is at the bottom of the ocean. Beneath the waves lies the hidden infrastructure that powers our connected world: over 400 submarine cables carrying 99% of all international internet traffic. These thin strands of glass and steel, no thicker than a garden hose, connect continents and carry everything from your emails to trillion-dollar financial transactions. "The Cables That Bind the World" reveals the extraordinary story of the physical internet. From the first telegraph wire dragged across the English Channel in 1850 to today's fiber-optic networks carrying terabits per second, this is the definitive account of humanity's most critical-and most vulnerable-infrastructure. You are taken on a journey through: - Victorian cable pioneers who risked fortunes spanning oceans with copper wire- British naval intelligence exploiting German cables in both world wars- Cold War submarine espionage in the depths of the Sea of Okhotsk- Cable sabotage and accidents that can cripple entire regions' connectivity- China's Digital Silk Road and the new great game for cable controlA story of power, vulnerability, and the geography of information. Tech giants like Google, Meta, and Microsoft now own their own transoceanic cables. Nations compete for control of landing points and cable routes. From the trading floors of London to the data centers of Singapore, the cables determine who can communicate, how fast, and who might be listening. Perfect for readers of: - Technology and infrastructure history- Geopolitics and international relations- Cold War espionage and intelligence- Business strategy and global economics- Anyone curious about how the internet actually worksThe cables are on the seabed. They're not going anywhere. Neither is the contest for control of them.

Pagina's: 230, Paperback, Independently published