![Hello, Future! [Please be kind.] Hardcover Journal](https://hachette.imgix.net/books/9781546015079.jpg?w=210&h=280&fit=crop)
A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks
David Gibbins
Formats & Editions
AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF 2024
'Masterful and entrancing - this is big history at its best.' Professor Alice Roberts, author of Ancestors
'A real-life Indiana Jones takes readers on a dive through these underwater museums, revealing the sunken secrets of the past' The Times
From a Bronze Age ship built during the age of Queen Nefertiti and filled with ancient treasures, a Viking warship made for King Cnut himself, Henry VIII's spectacular Mary Rose and the golden age of the Tudor court, to the exploration of the Arctic, the tragic story of HMS Terror and tales of bravery and endurance aboard HMS Gairsoppa in World War Two, these are the stories of some of the greatest underwater discoveries of all time. A rich and exciting narrative, this is not just the story of those ships and the people who sailed on them, the cargo and treasure they carried and their tragic fate. This is also the story of the spread of people, religion and ideas around the world, a story of colonialism and migration which continues today.
Drawing on decades of experience excavating shipwrecks around the world, renowned maritime archaeologist David Gibbins reveals the riches beneath the waves and shows us how the treasures found there can be a porthole to the past to tell a new story about the world and its underwater secrets.
Read More
Praise for A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks
-
A real-life Indiana Jones takes readers on a dive through these underwater museums, revealing the sunken secrets of the past . . . Prepare to be flabbergasted by the treasures Gibbins uncovers and by the stories they represent - The TimesFascinating... he offers wonderful material, well researched and placed in its wider context, illuminating the history of trade and warfare from unaccustomed angles. - David Abulafia, SpectatorDavid Gibbins's fascinating exploration of historic shipwrecks reveals that there is more to them than simple tragedy. Detailing everything from the exploits of prehistoric sea traders to the heroic actions of those on board the second world war cargo ship Gairsoppa, Gibbins conveys unimaginable courage in tales of people pushing beyond their reach and leaving a valuable legacy. - ObserverEngrossing . . . Gibbins is the ideal person to tell the story of shipwrecks. He is a distinguished underwater archaeologist, veteran of thousands of dives and a best-selling novelist whose narrative skills are here harnessed to fact rather than fiction . . . Gibbins is a sensitive narrator; he never loses sight of the reality thatwrecks represent the tragic loss of human lives. However, he also knows they can open up 'many fascinatingbyways of history to those willing to be fully immersed. - Daily Mail[An] excellent, endlessly interesting book... Kings and commoners alike are drawn together in richly detailed, often spellbinding narratives which genuinely do, to use the old cliche, "bring history to life". - Irish IndependentAn inviting, eclectic book . . . a cornucopia of information and stories, lengthy but very readable, drawing in a wide net of maritime figures and explorers. - Irish TimesAbsolutely fascinating, beautifully written and impeccably researched - Professor Alice Roberts, author of AncestorsA history of the world in a sea-salted way that has never been done before. A bravura work, insightfully woven, grippingly told and beautifully illustrated - Mensun Bound, author of The Ship Beneath the Ice
Find a book you'll love, get our newsletter
© Hachette Aotearoa | New Zealand, All Rights Reserved · Site by Chook