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A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks

A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks

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  • Author：David Gibbins
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Summary

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 12 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。

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Reviews

Andrea Wenger ，

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 is not a history book but an archeology book。 There’s no sweeping narrative here， 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。 The content is interesting but might best be read in small 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 is not a history book but an archeology book。 There’s no sweeping narrative here， 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。 The content is interesting but might best be read in small doses。Thanks， NetGalley， for the ARC I received。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more

Stephanie ，

Thanks in advance to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 In theory， this should be my ideal read， and indeed was one of my most anticipated nonfiction reads of the year。 Unfortunately， this book just missed the mark for me。 The concept is amazing， but the execution reads more like a textbook than a Nat Geo documentary。 It lacked the entertainment value I anticipated。 That said， chapters that covered wrecks the author dived tended to be more engaging。 How Thanks in advance to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 In theory， this should be my ideal read， and indeed was one of my most anticipated nonfiction reads of the year。 Unfortunately， this book just missed the mark for me。 The concept is amazing， but the execution reads more like a textbook than a Nat Geo documentary。 It lacked the entertainment value I anticipated。 That said， chapters that covered wrecks the author dived tended to be more engaging。 However， collectively， the book wasn’t particularly cohesive。 For individuals with less historical background， the book would have certainly benefited from more illustrations （it’s been a long time since I was in a class that discussed oxhide ingots）。 But that still wouldn’t have been sufficient to save the overall style of the book。 。。。more

Shanereads ，

I was initially very excited to read A History of the World in 12 Shipwrecks。 I love to read nonfiction sea faring micro histories。I definitely see an audience for this book and I love forward to recommending it to others。 However， it just did not hit the mark for me。 The chapters seemed to draw on and on， and spiral into other subjects。 I had hoped each shipwreck would be written as its own micro history that would flow more easily while reading， although I realize this a my personal opinion of I was initially very excited to read A History of the World in 12 Shipwrecks。 I love to read nonfiction sea faring micro histories。I definitely see an audience for this book and I love forward to recommending it to others。 However， it just did not hit the mark for me。 The chapters seemed to draw on and on， and spiral into other subjects。 I had hoped each shipwreck would be written as its own micro history that would flow more easily while reading， although I realize this a my personal opinion of the writing。Booksellers this book would be a great hand sell with books like The Perfect Storm， Sailing the Graveyard Sea and The Wager。This digital review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review。 Huge thanks to Netgalley and St。Martins Press for my review copy！ 。。。more

Lori L （She Treads Softly） ，

A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins is a highly recommended history based around 12 shipwrecks written by an expert in both archaeology and diving。 In the prologue Gibbons makes it clear that the twelve shipwrecks he covers provide a springboard for looking at the wider historical context。 Shipwrecks are unique because it represents a collection of objects used at the time of the shipwreck and thus can be closely dated。 This can offer new historical insights into the pas A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins is a highly recommended history based around 12 shipwrecks written by an expert in both archaeology and diving。 In the prologue Gibbons makes it clear that the twelve shipwrecks he covers provide a springboard for looking at the wider historical context。 Shipwrecks are unique because it represents a collection of objects used at the time of the shipwreck and thus can be closely dated。 This can offer new historical insights into the past。 The shipwrecks examined are: The Dover Boat constructed in 1575-1520 BC; Royal cargoes at the time of Tutankhamun in 14th century BC and the Uluburun wreck; a Classical Greece wreck off the Aegean coast of Turkey from the 5th century BC; a shipwreck in the Mediterranean from the Roman Empire in the 2nd century AD; 6th century AD Christianity and early Byzantium; Tang China， the Land of Gold， and Addasid Islam in the 9th century AD; 11th century AD Viking warship of King Cnut the Great; the Mary Rose， the flagship of Henry VIII， 1545;the Santo Christo de Castello a Dutch ship from 1667; The Royal Anne Galley， 1721; the HMS Terror， 1848; and the SS Gairsoppa， destroyed by a Nazi U-boat in the Atlantic during World War II。 （The final version will include illustrations， an index， bibliography， endnotes， and resources。）These shipwrecks are the starting point to a larger discussion of world history。 It is well-researched and includes many ties into a wider historical context of the time the ship would have been sea worthy。 The people， the cargo， the spread of the materials they carried and the beliefs they held are all tied together with the 12 significant shipwrecks and the insight they provide into the times in which they sailed。 Admittedly， I found some of the shipwrecks and their historical context more interesting than others， but A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks will appeal to those who enjoy history and especially maritime history。 Thanks to St。 Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley。 My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion。http://www。shetreadssoftly。com/2024/0。。。 。。。more

Grace ，

I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review。 （Well， my husband did and he outsourced the review to me https://www。goodreads。com/bikeboy）。 I declined to give it a star rating because I am a notoriously tough grader and my feelings are too nuanced to boil down to a simple numerical rating。 This book is well worth reading to learn how historical knowledge is constructed。 But no one book， especially one this short， will teach you the history of the world。 The 12 shipwrecks are al I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review。 （Well， my husband did and he outsourced the review to me https://www。goodreads。com/bikeboy）。 I declined to give it a star rating because I am a notoriously tough grader and my feelings are too nuanced to boil down to a simple numerical rating。 This book is well worth reading to learn how historical knowledge is constructed。 But no one book， especially one this short， will teach you the history of the world。 The 12 shipwrecks are all related to western civ; Asia & Oceana are not represented except for one European ship wrecked on the way back from Asia。 （Read Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia to learn about Oceana。）That said， shipwrecks are a valuable source of material culture clues because they are a point in time sample of people doing something。 They are not （except in one case） funerary objects。 These objects were used by people for specific purposes。 The location of the wrecks and what they were transporting also illuminates the types of people who go to sea and their motivations。 People went to sea to explore， to get rich， and to go to war。 When their trips were interrupted， what were they carrying？ This is a fantastic opportunity for scholarship and this book gives us a peek into the work of shipwreck archeologists。 I learned that， just as climate scientists can tell how warm a period was by O16/O18 （oxygen isotope） ratios in stalactites/stalagmites， they can also tell how warm the climate was where the victims in shipwrecks grew up。 O16/O18 ratios in the molars showed that the one of the archers （skeletal asymmetry） brought along to protect a European ship was African。 When I was working in a Space Sciences lab， a metrology expert I worked with had earned her PhD in materials science at U of Cambridge （where the author teaches） studying trace elements and isotope ratios in bronze church bells。 The coins， ingots and metal objects in the shipwrecks also tell a fascinating story。 I wish the book had explained more about the science of archeology， ocean currents/wind patterns， and ship designs--or the historical context of the ships， and the reasons they went out to sea--instead of just skimming along the surface of many topics。 I'm now going to have to read A History of the World in Sixteen Shipwrecks 。。。more

Christine ，

For me this was a slow burn。 I enjoyed the section on the most well known wrecks but as the author explored more contemporary ship wrecks the whole book came together more。 I’m not sure how well the title represents the content。 A bit of a stretch in some places but I liked the parts with the local connection to the lizard in Cornwall and connection with the authors grandfather。

Laurie ，

What an interesting and entertaining way to learn about or brush up on history。 I had no idea so much knowledge about our past could be gained from the objects found on a shipwreck。 From a Bronze Age ship uncovered in Dover to a World War II ship， underwater archeologist David Gibbins does an excellent job of tying our past and present together in an informative narrative。 What could easily have been a dry rehash of history is instead an engaging look， through an archeologist's eye， at different What an interesting and entertaining way to learn about or brush up on history。 I had no idea so much knowledge about our past could be gained from the objects found on a shipwreck。 From a Bronze Age ship uncovered in Dover to a World War II ship， underwater archeologist David Gibbins does an excellent job of tying our past and present together in an informative narrative。 What could easily have been a dry rehash of history is instead an engaging look， through an archeologist's eye， at different eras in history and what artifacts tell us about our past。 Even though I enjoyed the ancient shipwrecks more than the recently uncovered ones， I found all twelve enlightening。 If you like history and archeology， I think you will enjoy this book。Thank you， NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press， for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 The publication date is April 2， 2024。 。。。more

Kelli Santistevan ，

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。Thank you St。 Martin’s Press & Netgalley for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！ I wanted to read this book because I like the water and the ocean。 I watched the movie Titanic about the shipwreck that happened and I enjoyed that movie but I wouldn’t watch it again because it’s lo 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。Thank you St。 Martin’s Press & Netgalley for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！ I wanted to read this book because I like the water and the ocean。 I watched the movie Titanic about the shipwreck that happened and I enjoyed that movie but I wouldn’t watch it again because it’s long。 I decided to DNF this book after reading 69 pages because the way this is written is very dry。 It’s written like a history lesson and it doesn’t have any pictures in here。 In my opinion， I would prefer to watch a documentary about shipwrecks instead of reading about them because it’s an interesting subject。 I don’t know anything about it and I like watching documentaries。 。。。more

Book Club of One ，

A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins combines a survey history with memoir and archeology。 Using the shipwrecks to frame the work， the reader journeys chronologically from the second millennium BCE to the Second World War。 Each chapter focuses on a single vessel。 Gibbins describes the likely or known circumstances that led to the sinking， its rediscovery， archeological findings and the wider context of the time period。 It allows Gibbins to share both his first-hand experi A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins combines a survey history with memoir and archeology。 Using the shipwrecks to frame the work， the reader journeys chronologically from the second millennium BCE to the Second World War。 Each chapter focuses on a single vessel。 Gibbins describes the likely or known circumstances that led to the sinking， its rediscovery， archeological findings and the wider context of the time period。 It allows Gibbins to share both his first-hand experience diving on some of the featured wrecks as well as to showcase his knowledge and research to highlight the trade networks， travel and warfare of the different eras。 It's an interesting book that follows the typical framework of a history of ___ in ___ objects。 Unfortunately， due to the short length of the work， none of the ships are explored with a great deal of depth。 We get a succinct summary of the time period， some discussion of life on the ship and the process of recovering item from the wrecks。 In general， I found the earlier wrecks more difficult to stay invested in， as Gibbins could not pull from the same depth of sources as in the latter chapters。 Gibbons is clearly a passionate and invested author， and some chapters， such as the one focused on World War II or the Mary Rose would have made for great essays。 Worth a read for historians， marine archeologists or those interested in any of the time periods featured， but not something for the general reader。 I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher。 。。。more

Jordan Lynch ，

Let me begin by saying this is a ARC review， and thus many of these issue may be resolved in the final copy。That being said， I had a rough time with about half of this book。 A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks is exactly what the title describes--a look across history through the lens of twelve shipwrecks covering ancient times to WWII。 Each shipwreck stands on its own （which may be good or bad）， but together， they give a general overview of the history of sea travel and how that has ref Let me begin by saying this is a ARC review， and thus many of these issue may be resolved in the final copy。That being said， I had a rough time with about half of this book。 A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks is exactly what the title describes--a look across history through the lens of twelve shipwrecks covering ancient times to WWII。 Each shipwreck stands on its own （which may be good or bad）， but together， they give a general overview of the history of sea travel and how that has reflected the state of the world。My biggest problem with this book was the lack of maps， pictures， diagrams， or a timeline。 Again， these may be present in the final copy， in which case， things would read much smoother。 However， I was frequently having to look things up--the history of an individual， a picture of a specific type of coin， or a timeline for an ancient civilization。 This extra work made the reading slow， and for the first several chapters， I found myself skimming large chunks of writing because I didn't have time to do more research and couldn't connect what was going on。 As the wrecks came closer to modern times， this became less of a problem， but the problem overall could be solved with the aforementioned additions。Gibbins has personally spent time diving at many of these wrecks， and his personal insight and experiences at the sites were really interesting to read about。 I wish there was more of these anecdotes to make the book really unique rather than just a history book， and pictures from his dives would be a fantastic addition。 There was also a lot of interesting history， although there was a lot of repetition and some tangents that took away from the main points Gibbins was trying to make。Overall， Twelve Shipwrecks was interesting， and I learned quite a bit。 However， the earlier chapters suffer from a lack of maps， images， and timelines， and more of Gibbins's personal experiences would help set this book apart。 2。5 stars rounded up。 。。。more

Shelby Thompson ，

Dnf @ 45%

Laura✨ ，

A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins a fascinating journey through the history of humanity as seen through the lens of twelve shipwrecks。 From the Bronze Age to World War Two， Gibbins explores how these wrecks reveal not only the lives and cultures of the people who sailed them， but also the broader historical contexts and transformations that shaped their eras。There was a lot to like in this book。 Gibbins combines his academic expertise with his personal experience as a A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins a fascinating journey through the history of humanity as seen through the lens of twelve shipwrecks。 From the Bronze Age to World War Two， Gibbins explores how these wrecks reveal not only the lives and cultures of the people who sailed them， but also the broader historical contexts and transformations that shaped their eras。There was a lot to like in this book。 Gibbins combines his academic expertise with his personal experience as a diver and researcher on many of the wrecks he describes。 He vividly recreates the scenes and events that led to the sinking of each ship， as well as the challenges and discoveries of the archaeological investigations that followed。 With the 12 chosen wrecks， Gibbins covers a wide range of time periods， regions， and themes。 He shows how each wreck represents a pivotal moment or aspect of human history， such as trade， exploration， warfare， religion， art， and technology。 He also explains how the wrecks reflect the diversity and complexity of the maritime world， from the Phoenicians and Vikings to the Chinese and Polynesians。 Gibbins does not treat the shipwrecks as isolated incidents， but rather as windows into the larger historical forces and dynamics that influenced them。 He connects the wrecks to the rise and fall of empires， the spread of ideas and beliefs， the development of science and industry， and the impact of environmental and climatic changes。 He also examines how the wrecks affected the course of history and the fate of nations and peoples。What struck me the most was the fact that shipwrecks are invaluable sources of information and insight that complement and challenge the conventional historical records。 Shipwrecks preserve a wealth of material and cultural evidence that is often lost or distorted on land。 For example， many of the sites had metal artifacts that were intended for recycling and are never found in ground digs。 He also shows how the wrecks offer a unique perspective on the human condition， as they capture the hopes and fears， the triumphs and tragedies， and the joys and sorrows of the people who sailed them。My only con lies with the editorial execution。 While Gibbins shares his experiences and research， a tighter edit would have enhanced the overall coherence。 At times， facts and definitions repeat unnecessarily， disrupting the flow。 Additionally， the blend of adventure-style writing （akin to in-the-moment journal entries） with historical recounting occasionally feels disjointed。 Some chapters felt longer and more detailed than others， and some transitions and connections between the wrecks and the historical contexts could have been smoother and clearer。I enjoyed the book and learned a lot， even as someone who has studied and taught secondary history for 25 years。 It has a unique angle and will be a good addition to the popular history genre。 It is a captivating and informative read that will appeal to anyone who is interested in the history of the world and the sea。This was an ARC review for NetGalley。 。。。more

Christina Dudley ，

Being a fan of both history and shipwrecks， this book was a good fit for me， and I especially liked the author's personal experience with underwater archaeology and discussion of the logistics of scuba diving and its impact on how the work progresses。 Some chapters will be of more interest than others ， depending on the readers' favorite time periods， but there was fascinating finds in every chapter。 I particularly enjoyed the Mary Rose and the Terror。Recommended reading and thank you to the pub Being a fan of both history and shipwrecks， this book was a good fit for me， and I especially liked the author's personal experience with underwater archaeology and discussion of the logistics of scuba diving and its impact on how the work progresses。 Some chapters will be of more interest than others ， depending on the readers' favorite time periods， but there was fascinating finds in every chapter。 I particularly enjoyed the Mary Rose and the Terror。Recommended reading and thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book。 。。。more

Anya Leonard ，

For full disclosure， I rarely read nonfiction books for pleasure。 However， when I saw what this book was about， I knew it would be different than other things I would normally read nonfiction of。 To begin with， the author is a legitimate fiction author， but also an archaeologist， and dove to these wrecks， and had firsthand knowledge of everything in here。 That's a great selling point to me。 The book read so quickly， and was so interesting and informative because it spanned such a long period of For full disclosure， I rarely read nonfiction books for pleasure。 However， when I saw what this book was about， I knew it would be different than other things I would normally read nonfiction of。 To begin with， the author is a legitimate fiction author， but also an archaeologist， and dove to these wrecks， and had firsthand knowledge of everything in here。 That's a great selling point to me。 The book read so quickly， and was so interesting and informative because it spanned such a long period of time and encompassed a ton of human history。 I would definitely recommend this book if you have any interest in archaeology or history， or just want to have more information regarding a ton of these time periods。 I learned SO much in the short amount of time that it took me to finish this book， and I will definitely be getting this for all the history buffs in my life！ This ebook was provided in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Carolyn Page ，

I have received a ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 5 stars！ The only thing that made me mad about this book was that the author's descriptions of such cool things made me BEG for pictures！ I need illustrations！ The techniques for ancient shipmaking， the artifacts that were found。。。I want to see！My favorite wrecks ended up being the most ancient ones， which surprised me！ I think it speaks to the author's experience and way with words that he was able to bring those periods of h I have received a ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 5 stars！ The only thing that made me mad about this book was that the author's descriptions of such cool things made me BEG for pictures！ I need illustrations！ The techniques for ancient shipmaking， the artifacts that were found。。。I want to see！My favorite wrecks ended up being the most ancient ones， which surprised me！ I think it speaks to the author's experience and way with words that he was able to bring those periods of history to life。 It also inspired me to reflect on the transience of power。。。all those kingdoms and empires， trading with each other， sometimes with fabulous wealth， and now the only remnants of their glory are in the dust of the earth and the depths of the seas。 This was a fascinating， adventurous read， and it made me want to visit Cornwall， of all places。 I would definitely read this again！ 。。。more

Erica Robbin ，

What an insightful read。 I loved it and will be reading it again。 I think those looking for a nice， compelling leisurely beach read or those wanting to gain specific insight into historical accounts of sunken ships， including the adventurous spirit surrounding the exploration， methodology of salvaging strategy， with a bonus of historical backdrop of the surrounding time period， will enjoy this one。 Would also make a great reference source for students looking to report on such topics， notably an What an insightful read。 I loved it and will be reading it again。 I think those looking for a nice， compelling leisurely beach read or those wanting to gain specific insight into historical accounts of sunken ships， including the adventurous spirit surrounding the exploration， methodology of salvaging strategy， with a bonus of historical backdrop of the surrounding time period， will enjoy this one。 Would also make a great reference source for students looking to report on such topics， notably angles of archaeology and ethnography as they relate to under water， shoreline， and land expeditions around the world and what we’ve come to learn about the past。I would like to thank St。 Martin’s Press for providing me with this copy for free through the Goodreads giveaway program。Expected publication: April 2， 2024。The StoryI loved the amount of information contained in this book。 I devoured it。It’s rich with fascinating historical facts related to the time period in which each expedition was suspected and ultimately found in。 From the Byzantine period and Roman Empire， along with a nice span of Bronze Age findings， highlighting key era of the Tang Dynasty， Viking lifestyle and burial process， Greenland， and specific findings about each ship such as the Royal Anne， and much more。 Mentionable artifacts such as Antikythera mechanism， bronzes axes， Mask of Agamemnon， and Virazon， just to name a few。Whether ships at battle， for trade and commerce， or ceremonial， to social leisure， the range of purpose was discussed at perfect length。 Including tidbits about navigation method and voyage passageways。Explained the characteristics of ship timber， time period， salvaging strategies， and continued preservation efforts。 Differing materials， construction， and inscription styles that set each apart。 Identification of metal sourcing。 Capacity for cargo tonnage and personnel。Provided rationale about origins， purpose， and activities like trade economy， illness， war， weather conditions and phenomena， currents， and various knowns and suspected unknowns that were explored which contributed to the route， decision-making， deck logs， diary entries， and finality in days at sea to the resting place of each ship。Challenging limitations of the dive work。 Particularly limited visibility during an expedition and other environmental and biological hazards。 It’s amazing to imagine the incredible expeditions to recover marble on the seabed and I enjoyed the adventurous spirit in all of it with all the amazing finds。I really appreciated the in-depth mention of creative art findings， many of which I realized I only had surface knowledge of， and learned about many captivating artistic fronts such as allegorical depictions of the human condition based on the condition of the ship， the connections and research as they pertain to ancient artifacts and writings with comparative art collections of the time period， such as classical paintings， architecture， potteries， and literature such as Charles Dickens， Homer’s Iliad， and Biblical references。I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the votives and tea bowl artifacts， drawing on the depictions of symbolism in construction， whether painted by layering order as delineated or inscribed as they relate to purpose and beauty of the pottery。 In addition to eyes traditionally painted on the prow of ships。The WritingSubject matter expertise was lovely and I enjoyed the compelling writing style as well as the comprehensive approach to explain with enough intriguing， great overview of surrounding historical details of the time frame， biographical information of key figures， and some of the technical aspects of the dives。 The assessment by maritime archeologist and historian shined through in this one。 I loved reading through the maritime trade with inventory lists。And the notable museums that houses the artifacts found。Word etymology was very intriguing。I much appreciated the use of both former and modern-day name references。As a diver myself， I absolutely loved the incorporation of personal account and experiences， particularly those related to travel and the challenges of dive exploration。IllustrationsI enjoyed looking through the accompanying images I had access to。I will be looking forward to more from this author。 Plus each expedition I imagine could also be its own book as well。 Perhaps in future there will accompanying series including insider， personal experiences and matters about travel details， packing lists， forming dive teams and obtaining permits and filings， ethical aspects of how to properly research， professional conduct and related exploration efforts， and additional measures taken to inventory practices， along with those in the field as it pertains to jurisdiction and ownership whether private collections and auctions to public displays， such as solidifying mapping， personnel， key contacts， and networking in order to time explorations around each season， yet complete each task within designated time frames。 And what has changed in the profession over time。 I will like to read a book about such technicalities and additional inventory pieces from archaeological findings related to each expedition。Blog post 。。。more

Susan Keller ，

I both enjoyed and learned a lot from this outstanding book。 The history of the times of the ships and their cargo was very informative。 It must be amazing to be able to be able to see the items underwater where they have rested for ， some of them， centuries。 Gibbons also respectfully told of some of the sailors who went down with the ships。 All in all a great read for a cold， snowy day for me， who will never be able to experience a dive myself。

Rick Henriques ，

I must start off by saying that I love historical non-fiction and this was right up my alley。 I learned so much more about specific ship wrecks and how they played a part in defining that specific century and the trade and migration that took place during that time。 I never would have thought that a ship wreck would tell much more than who and where the crew were headed but this was truly and enjoyable read and a learning adventure as well。

Sembray ，

4。5 I am a lover of all things historical and nautical， so I had a feeling I would enjoy this book。 It reads like a blend of The Wager and Indiana Jones， with Gibbins covering both the stories of the wrecks themselves and the unfortunate souls aboard them and his own adventures exploring several of them to reveal the blossoming discipline of maritime archaeology and the fascinating insights into the past it can provide。 The author is an internationally renowned expert on wreck exploration， and t 4。5 I am a lover of all things historical and nautical， so I had a feeling I would enjoy this book。 It reads like a blend of The Wager and Indiana Jones， with Gibbins covering both the stories of the wrecks themselves and the unfortunate souls aboard them and his own adventures exploring several of them to reveal the blossoming discipline of maritime archaeology and the fascinating insights into the past it can provide。 The author is an internationally renowned expert on wreck exploration， and this combined with his talent as a writer of adventure novels renders him the perfect person to tell the swashbuckling tales of tragedy on the high seas。 The book captures an impressively wide sweep of history， ranging from the Iron Age to the Second World War， as well as illustrating periods often omitted from Eurocentric works of history， such as the Abbasid Caliphate and the Tang Dynasty of China。 Overall， this is an extremely enjoyable work which will captivate anyone interested in what the oceans can reveal to us about our pasts， written in engrossing style by an accomplished storyteller。 Nautical adventures are one of my favourite genres， whether fictional or real-life， and Gibbins's work certainly stands as one of the most original and enthralling entries written in recent years。 。。。more

Conny ，

I was a First Read Winner of this book and the premise sounded very interesting to me。 Take a list of ship wrecks and then explain the history around them。 About half of them the Author has personally dived on， and then gives a wider historical context around these ships。 I found myself easily getting distracted while reading which does not happen very often and at times it almost felt like a bit of a chore instead of a joy to read。 Having said that I still found it interesting but it just did n I was a First Read Winner of this book and the premise sounded very interesting to me。 Take a list of ship wrecks and then explain the history around them。 About half of them the Author has personally dived on， and then gives a wider historical context around these ships。 I found myself easily getting distracted while reading which does not happen very often and at times it almost felt like a bit of a chore instead of a joy to read。 Having said that I still found it interesting but it just did not do it for me 100%。 。。。more

Kimberly Swejkoski ，

This book was so informative and well-researched。 David Gibbins brings twelve different periods of time to life and then weaves them all together。 I learned quite a bit from this book， even about historical periods that I have already thoroughly researched previously。 David Gibbins is such a wonderful writer as well， and each chapter felt more like a story to me than just a description of the people and state of the world during the era of each wreck。 Fans of history and wrecks should definitely This book was so informative and well-researched。 David Gibbins brings twelve different periods of time to life and then weaves them all together。 I learned quite a bit from this book， even about historical periods that I have already thoroughly researched previously。 David Gibbins is such a wonderful writer as well， and each chapter felt more like a story to me than just a description of the people and state of the world during the era of each wreck。 Fans of history and wrecks should definitely check out this book， you will not be disappointed。Thank you to NetGalley and the St。 Martin's Press for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Dan ，

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St。 Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book that looks at how the world changed and advanced by studying the ships that never reached their destinations。 "The sea， once it casts its spell， holds one in its net of wonder forever。" Jaques Yves Cousteau said this quote and it seems apt as so many were introduced to the wonders of the sea by shi specials and shows about the oceans and what lived there。 The technology that gave Cousteau access to My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St。 Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book that looks at how the world changed and advanced by studying the ships that never reached their destinations。 "The sea， once it casts its spell， holds one in its net of wonder forever。" Jaques Yves Cousteau said this quote and it seems apt as so many were introduced to the wonders of the sea by shi specials and shows about the oceans and what lived there。 The technology that gave Cousteau access to the ocean depths all helped archaeologists open a new world of exploration。 Shipwrecks。 These vessels because of the depths and the cold water have been untouched by people， and ignored by time。 Only falling apart when brought to the surface。 These wrecks show us the world as it was at the time， a world sometimes far different from what we think， a world that had greater trade routes and even better technology。 David Gibbins is an underwater archeologist known for his adventure novels。 A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks is a look at what wrecks can tell us about the sailors， the merchants and the warriors who lived in these times， what the world was like， and where it was going， just by what is left behind。 The book begins with a bit about the author and how he came to enjoy diving， archeology and writing。 Gibbins tells of himself he discusses the changes in diving technology， from old suits with iron heads connected to the surface by hoses and bellows， to aqualungs， and SCUBA。 These advances gave archaeologists a freedom to go deeper and stay longer at wrecks and underwater sites。 Gibbins discusses a few of his near misses， sharing oxygen while in a underwater tunnel， something that still bothers him when he dives。 And also the rush that he gets when he goes to a wreck for the first time， the feeling or what can be found， what new thing will be learned。 From here Gibbins introduces us to the shipwrecks， many of which Gibbins has dived on。 Gibbins gives a history， when he can about the boat， how it came to its sad fate， their discovery and how what was found fits into the bigger history of what was happening in the world。 Trade， war， technology， exploration and more。 David Gibbins is a very good writer and is able to add a lot of novelistic flairs to his nonfiction writing here， which makes for a surprising thrilling read。 Gibbins knows both diving， archeology and how to tell a tale that is both interesting and enlightening。 Gibbins is able to make things understandable， both about the wrecks and the history， and even more he makes the reader want to know more。 Why should a joist matter？ Oh I see this explains this and that， and suddenly the reader knows why that joist matters， and why history can be exciting， and more importantly fun。 One learns about wood， and why that matters， wine， trade goods， weapons and how it all fits into humanity growth。Recommended for people who love history。 There is a lot here， and a whole slew of subjects are covered and covered well。 Also fans of Gibbins fiction and readers of books like the Shadow Divers and Ship of Gold， even The Wager will also get a lot from this。 。。。more

Madeline ，

David Gibbins is a diver and archeologist who has explored many shipwrecks in the waters around Europe。 He used his dives to tell stories about historical periods in which the shipwrecks happened。 The archeology found on and around the wrecks are a window on the lives of the men on board the ships as well as the trade and commerce between nations and peoples of which the ship was a part。 He described the ships from their construction to the remains after their sinking。The book is an academic tre David Gibbins is a diver and archeologist who has explored many shipwrecks in the waters around Europe。 He used his dives to tell stories about historical periods in which the shipwrecks happened。 The archeology found on and around the wrecks are a window on the lives of the men on board the ships as well as the trade and commerce between nations and peoples of which the ship was a part。 He described the ships from their construction to the remains after their sinking。The book is an academic treatise and would be valuable to any student of naval archeology。 The story of the ocean bed is fascinating and much more waits to be discovered in the future。Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book。 The opinions expressed are mine alone。 。。。more

Barb ，

review to come

Amy ，

The book is well written， and the author certainly knows his subject inside and out。 However， it read a bit too much like an academic journal for my taste。 I'm a fan of history and am a librarian in a local history department。 But this work reads more like a research resource to me。 Readers who are into SCUBA diving and fans of older maritime history will definitely be fans; it just wasn't for me。 The book is well written， and the author certainly knows his subject inside and out。 However， it read a bit too much like an academic journal for my taste。 I'm a fan of history and am a librarian in a local history department。 But this work reads more like a research resource to me。 Readers who are into SCUBA diving and fans of older maritime history will definitely be fans; it just wasn't for me。 。。。more

Kelly ，

A History of Europe and Britain in Twelve Shipwrecks would probably be a more accurate title for this book， as all of the shipwrecks that are featured are ones that have their origins on that continent， even if not all of them were wrecked there。 The book starts with shipwrecks located more in the Mediterranean and in the breadbasket of the Middle East， where civilization advanced most quickly to the point of using ships to move people and cargo， then shifts northward somewhat to the Greeks and A History of Europe and Britain in Twelve Shipwrecks would probably be a more accurate title for this book， as all of the shipwrecks that are featured are ones that have their origins on that continent， even if not all of them were wrecked there。 The book starts with shipwrecks located more in the Mediterranean and in the breadbasket of the Middle East， where civilization advanced most quickly to the point of using ships to move people and cargo， then shifts northward somewhat to the Greeks and Romans， up to the Vikings， with the last four chapters focused on British ships from the time of Henry VIII moving forward。 In each chapter， Gibbins looks not only at the discovery and in some cases the recovery of the ships or items from it， but also what the ship itself and its cargo can tell us about the times in which the ship sailed。 This is quite possibly the most interesting part of the book， especially the earlier chapters when items like amphora can be used to date the wreck， and also tells a story about wider trade routes than most people assume of the times。 While it is increasingly coming to light that Vikings conducted trade with and served for societies in the Middle East， it is wrecks like these that are able to help increasingly validate those connections between distant societies。 Each chapter is interesting in its own right， but they can get bogged down with almost too many details for just being a single chapter in a book。 They can almost feel too dense with information， be it ship manufacture， archaeological or historical。 In truth each one of these wrecks could have a book written as a standalone （some do）， that would better allow for breathing room of all the details that Gibbins includes。 I enjoyed it， but I wish it had been more reflective of shipwrecks from around the whole world that reflected technology and culture in different areas that received little attention。 Also， a personal pet peeve of mine， the bibliography is not included in the book， the reader is directed to the author's website。 I don't mind a bibliography also being available on the author's website， but considering how temporary websites can be， I feel that a relatively comprehensive bibliography should always be included within the content of a nonfiction book。 A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more

Nan Williams ，

What a fun idea！！ And what a good way to tell history。 The premise was great and the particular shipwrecks were most interesting and informative。 It did seem to me that the actual purpose of the book was for the author to tell about himself and to promote himself rather than to be historically informative。Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。

Chip Fallaw ，

WOW！ That is the word I would use to describe this book。 First and foremost， and in complete transparency， my expectations for this book were moderate， at best。 The history of the WORLD in 12 shipwrecks。 It seemed a tall order。 Do I enjoy reading about ships and shipwrecks – definitely。 Do I enjoy history， non-fiction， and the world – certainly。 Did I expect that those two things would be so well combined in this book – nope。 But somehow， David Gibbins managed to condense an incredible amount of WOW！ That is the word I would use to describe this book。 First and foremost， and in complete transparency， my expectations for this book were moderate， at best。 The history of the WORLD in 12 shipwrecks。 It seemed a tall order。 Do I enjoy reading about ships and shipwrecks – definitely。 Do I enjoy history， non-fiction， and the world – certainly。 Did I expect that those two things would be so well combined in this book – nope。 But somehow， David Gibbins managed to condense an incredible amount of knowledge into just 300 pages。 Spanning over 4000 years， this book takes us all over the world， telling the story of ships and wrecks， but also providing historical context at a level that would make most history textbooks envious。 In fact， the historical context of the time surrounding the wreck consumes 75% of each chapter。 Sure， David weaves in personal stories about his dives， but in a subtle way that seems to understate how impressive his experience diving really is。 In my 4 years reading and writing books， I haven’t once returned to a book。 However， for this book I will。 Because I feel like there is SO much information confined to these 300 pages that it cannot all be absorbed within a single first pass。 I also want to give kudos to David for writing this book in a way that feels conversational， something most nonfictions books struggle to achieve。 Will I talk about this book beyond this and my Goodreads review page – certainly。Thanks to David Gibbins， Macmillian Publishers and Netgalley for the advanced copy to read and review。 。。。more

Beth Yurs ，

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC copy of this book。This was an interesting premise to this book- world history using the lens of 12 shipwrecks to tell the tale。 It really stretches the timeline of world history- starting prehistoric， moving into Greek and then Roman wrecks， and then getting into European focused wrecks that involved kings， pirates， polar exploration， and war。 Overall really enjoyed this book- giving it four stars。 Some of the wrecks I had some knowledge about Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC copy of this book。This was an interesting premise to this book- world history using the lens of 12 shipwrecks to tell the tale。 It really stretches the timeline of world history- starting prehistoric， moving into Greek and then Roman wrecks， and then getting into European focused wrecks that involved kings， pirates， polar exploration， and war。 Overall really enjoyed this book- giving it four stars。 Some of the wrecks I had some knowledge about， others were completely new to me。 I found myself pausing in my reading to go look up photos of the ships， wrecks， and people who lived on them。 In some of the chapters he really gets into the cultural and socioeconomic conditions of the world at that time。 The one criticism I have for the book is the wrecks chosen; I caught on pretty early that the author was only going to focus on wrecks he has dived on， which makes sense from a research perspective。 But that left out to me some of the most influential wrecks in history， including the Lusitania， Titanic， Shackleton， and Captain Cooke's fleet。 Still worth reading in my opinion， just keep in mind that the perspective narrows the scope of what's covered in the book。 。。。more

Logan Kedzie ，

With a title that positions it to be the Dad book of '24， A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks is careful to position itself as a total world history， but "a history of the world， in which the wrecks provide a springboard for looking at the wider historical context，" （emphasis in original）， a sight which the text lives up to， mostly。 It gives the author the permission to go far outside of the wrecks themselves and discuss the underlying history of the time when they happened。 The weakness With a title that positions it to be the Dad book of '24， A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks is careful to position itself as a total world history， but "a history of the world， in which the wrecks provide a springboard for looking at the wider historical context，" （emphasis in original）， a sight which the text lives up to， mostly。 It gives the author the permission to go far outside of the wrecks themselves and discuss the underlying history of the time when they happened。 The weakness of this approach is that sometimes the text goes way out to the point of distraction， but the cool thing is that Gibbins has chosen shipwrecks where there is historical information about them， most chillingly in the story of the HMS Terror where the wreck amounts to providing answers in a mystery story， though a few get particularly tenuous in an unprovable， wouldn't it be cool way for the wrecks from antiquity。 Although， I have trouble calling it a world history， due to its eurocentric focus， though it should be said （in a way that I'm sure is going to irritate some of the conservative twitterati） it is conscious of that and tries to provide more scope when it can。 But it is more a history of the idea of the world itself rather than a world history。Twelve Shipwrecks is a history of globalization， from its earliest passages about the importance of British tin in ancient Europe as part of the possibly ritually buried channel-crossing boat of to the multi-national crew and cargo of the final doomed ship in the Second World War。 More， it is the history of the culture of globalization， the persons doing the work of moving goods and making war。 It reflects how local culture has always had international characteristics， where the movement of goods and people in surprising ways is the rule， not the exception， but also how that activity， primarily in shipping， has its own sort of character。 While that character is not consistent over the ages， it certainly rhymes， and is a worthy topic of consideration。 The weakness of the book is the chronology。 There are in effect three competing narratives here。 The first is the timeline of history itself， which the book is organized around。 The second is Gibbins' work as an underwater archaeologist。 It is pointedly cool to get a book on the history of a shipwreck where the author can write experimentally about diving the wreck， or being involved in some aspect of the research。 The third is the history of underwater archeology itself， in general and in specific for each one of these shipwrecks， their discovery and what has happened with them over the years。This adds a layer of unintended complexity to the work， and references to events that will be discussed or have been discussed。 Each one of the individual chapters is structured to stand on its own， so it does not negatively affect the core， but much like when the history goes way out into the suburbs it feels disorienting。 Also， the writing can be on the dry side （rimshot）， but as a stylistic choice between that and the breathless hype of some popular histories， I will always choose the dryer read， as I like being treated like an adult who can add the color if necessary。Gibbins provides a great framework for a way to think about world history， and one that is centered on the human and the individual。 It leaves me wanting more of that， but it could not do that without sacrificing the author describing his unique connections to the history。（St。 Martin's Press via NetGalley） 。。。more

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Reference

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