Shipwreck: A History of Disasters at Sea

The discovery of shipwrecks has unveiled the remarkable stories behind the vessels and the lives of the people that sailed on them. Some, however, are shrouded in mystery, never having been raised from the depths of the sea: Henry VIII's flagship the Mary Rose, now on display in Portsmouth, offers an intriguing array of artefacts while Shackleton's Endurance still lies at the bottom of the Southern Ocean. Shipwreck tells the stories of 21 ships that have met disastrous ends. Stunning images of ships, wrecks, charts, and the characters involved, illustrate the stories behind each shipwreck. In the accompanying narrative, author Sam Willis vividly describes the history of world shipping, the advances in weaponry, armour and navigation, and looks at safety at sea both in the past and the present. He also considers the modern moral and ethical dilemmas of shipwreck hunting and the future of archaeology at sea. Both a striking visual record and a dramatic account of exciting events at sea, Shipwreck offers a compelling overview of more than 2,000 years of maritime history.