Dr. Michael Verney joins the program to discuss his book, A Great and Rising Nation – Naval Exploration and Global Empire in the Early US Republic. Dr. Michael Verney is an Assistant Professor of History at Drury University. His work focuses on early US naval exploration. He has published works on merchant, missionary, and pro-slavery exploration, and early American activities on the Indian subcontinent. Brian Kurukulasuriya edited and produced this episode.