A robust yet accessible history of US involvement in the world's most dangerous waterway, and a guide for what to do about it. Lamentations that the United States is "losing" the South China Sea to China are now common. China has rapidly militarized islands and reefs, projects power across the disputed waterway, and freely harasses US allies and partners. The US has been unable to halt these processes or convince Beijing to respect the rights of smaller neighbors. But what exactly would "losing" mean? In On Dangerous Ground , Gregory B. Poling evaluates US interests in the world's most complex and dangerous maritime disputes by examining more than a century of American involvement in the South China Sea. He focuses on how the disputes there intersected and eventually intertwined with the longstanding US commitment to freedom of the seas and its evolving alliance network in Asia. He shows that these abiding national interests--defense of maritime rights and commitment to allies, particularly the Philippines--have repeatedly pulled US attention to the South China Sea. Understanding how and why is critical if the US and its allies hope to chart a course through the increasingly fraught disputes, while facing a more assertive, more capable, and far less compromising China. With an emphasis on decisions made not just in Washington and Beijing, but also in Manila and other Southeast Asian capitals, On Dangerous Ground seeks to correct the record and balance the China-centric narrative that has come to dominate the issue. It not only provides the most comprehensive account yet of America's history in the South China Sea, but it also demonstrates how that history should inform US national security policy in one of the most important waterways in the world. "Excellent, timely, and needed. A must-read if you care about the South China Sea―its history, why it matters, and how the U.S. and the PRC could come to blows over it." -- Admiral Harry Harris (Retired), 24th Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea "Gregory Poling's in-depth, incisive, masterful and comprehensive historical analysis of the evolving interests of various parties in the South China Sea especially the United States are truly amazing. The book is a must-read for all foreign policy-makers, practitioners, decision-makers, geo-political analysts, and students who are engaged, learning and trying to understand the complex South China Sea." -- Ambassador Albert del Rosario, Former Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs "In this lively, lucid, and deeply researched book, Poling has written the definitive account of how the United States became involved in the South China Sea and how its policy has evolved over the past century. Anyone interested in the past, present, or future of these disputed waters should read this book― a terrific contribution to the literature." -- M. Taylor Fravel, Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science and Director of the Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "Greg Poling has written a book that anyone serious about understanding the background, status and implications of the South China Sea dispute will need to read carefully and retain for further reference." -Robert Sutter, Contemporary Southeast Asia "This is a fundamental book for understanding one of the most salient issues roiling relations between China, its neighbors to the south and east, and the United States." - Walter Clemens, New York Journal of Books "Poling...is one of the world's most knowledgeable people on the South China Sea and his book is as informed as you might expect." -Bill Hayton, Asian Affairs "Greg Poling's deep expertise as an analyst of Southeast Asia pays major dividends in his powerful and well-informed study of the last century of geopolitical struggle in the maritime heart of the region." - Isaac Kardon, US Naval War College Review "Poling has combed through archives to produce a valuable history of growing conflict over the body of water...His research has unearthed many new insights that place the evolving US policy in a new light." - Nayan Chanda, GlobalAsia " On Dangerous Ground deftly weaves these South China Sea threads together...with a rich mix of global perspective and regional granularity." - Prashanth Parameswaran, ASEAN Wonk "A serious but readable academic study." - Lyle Morris, China Books Review Gregory B. Poling directs the Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. He is a leading expert on the South China Sea disputes and conducts research on US alliances and partnerships, democratization and governance in Southeast Asia, and maritime security across the Indo-Pacific. He is the author or coauthor of works on the South China Sea and US relations with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia at