A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks

David Gibbins

Apr 2024 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

From renowned underwater archaeologist David Gibbins comes an exciting and rich narrative of human history told through the archaeological discoveries of twelve shipwrecks across time.

The Viking warship of King Cnut the Great. Henry VIII's the Mary Rose. Captain John Franklin's doomed HMS Terror. The SS Gairsoppa, destroyed by a Nazi U-boat in the Atlantic during World War II.

Since we first set sail on the open sea, ships and their wrecks have been an inevitable part of human history. Archaeologists have made spectacular discoveries excavating these sunken ships, their protective underwater cocoon keeping evidence of past civilizations preserved. Now, for the first time, world renowned maritime archeologist David Gibbins ties together the stories of some of the most significant shipwrecks in time to form a single overarching narrative of world history.

A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks is not just the story of those ships, the people who sailed on them, and the cargo and treasure they carried, but also the story of the spread of people, religion, and ideas around the world; it is a story of colonialism, migration, and the indominable human spirit that continues today. From the glittering Bronze Age, to the world of Caesar's Rome, through the era of the Vikings, to the exploration of the Arctic, Gibbins uses shipwrecks to tell all.

Drawing on decades of experience excavating shipwrecks around the world, Gibbins reveals the riches beneath the waves and shows us how the treasures found there can be a porthole to the past that tell a new story about the world and its underwater secrets.

Ratings and reviews

Shipwrecks offer glimpses into past civilizations through objects preserved on the ocean floor. This book weaves together stories of significant sunken vessels, spanning continents and centuries. This isn’t a history book but an archeology book. There’s no sweeping narrative, but anecdotes of how objects bring history to life. The information is interesting, but the lack of a strong narrative arc makes the book difficult to follow. It’s best read in small doses. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

About the author

DAVID GIBBINS is the internationally bestselling author of the Jack Howard novels, which have sold over three million copies worldwide and are published in thirty languages, and the Total War series of historical novels.

Gibbins has worked in underwater archaeology all his professional life. After taking a PhD from Cambridge University he taught archaeology in Britain and abroad, and is a world authority on ancient shipwrecks and sunken cities. He has led numerous expeditions to investigate underwater sites in the Mediterranean and around the world. He currently divides his time between fieldwork, England and Canada.