A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks
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- Create Date：2024-03-05 12:21:55
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：David Gibbins
- ISBN：1250325374
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Reviews
Jordan Lynch
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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
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Dnf @ 45%
Laura✨
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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review to come
Amy
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
trop_de_livres
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Five stars if you are REALLY interested in history， marine archeology and/or the history of ships。 David Gibbins is one of the most famous marine archeologists in the world and so it is logical that he should have written a book detailing twelve famous shipwreck discoveries。Each chapter is devoted to one of these shipwrecks， in chronological order。 By doing so， Gibbins can expand upon the information about the shipwrecks and connect them to to the history of the world at the time， compare them t Five stars if you are REALLY interested in history， marine archeology and/or the history of ships。 David Gibbins is one of the most famous marine archeologists in the world and so it is logical that he should have written a book detailing twelve famous shipwreck discoveries。Each chapter is devoted to one of these shipwrecks， in chronological order。 By doing so， Gibbins can expand upon the information about the shipwrecks and connect them to to the history of the world at the time， compare them to each other， and to similar discoveries in other locations。 This is a clever （and new to me） way to look at history， by focusing on the history of traveling by ship。 Gibbins was personally involved in many of the shipwreck discoveries and relates his experiences as a marine archeologist in a captivating and personal style。Highly recommended if you are a history buff， love archeology and find shipping history fascinating。 If you are just slightly interested in these subjects， you might find the pure amount of information to be overwhelming， and that it reads more like a textbook。 However， you also might be inspired to go down many rabbit holes （I was！） and find out more。 Thank you NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for letting me read this in exchange for an honest opinion。 。。。more
Brendan （History Nerds United）
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On the face of it， this book is right up my alley。 Shipwrecks！ History！ Unfortunately， David Gibbins just misses the mark a bit too much in A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks。The premise is good enough。 Take a list of wrecks and then explain the history around them。 More than half of them Gibbins has personally dived on。 Gibbins then gives a wider historical context around these ships and there you go。 Easy peasy。I had to think quite a while about why this one wasn't a home run for me。 On the face of it， this book is right up my alley。 Shipwrecks！ History！ Unfortunately， David Gibbins just misses the mark a bit too much in A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks。The premise is good enough。 Take a list of wrecks and then explain the history around them。 More than half of them Gibbins has personally dived on。 Gibbins then gives a wider historical context around these ships and there you go。 Easy peasy。I had to think quite a while about why this one wasn't a home run for me。 One of the issues which jumped out at me is that the wrecks can often feel tacked onto a very quick （relatively speaking） rundown of the history in the time period。 I wanted more on the sunken treasures。 The chapters where Gibbins was actually diving on the wrecks were usually the better chapters。 Gibbins also writes well so even when I didn't love a chapter， it was still good， just not great。The other problem is that since this is effectively 12 vignettes， each chapter must stand on its own。 Gibbins accomplishes this， but he does it too well。 It felt like you could completely skip a ship and it wouldn't matter。 The book was not cohesive enough because sometimes Gibbins talks about how the ship sank， or the people on it， but other times he approaches it completely differently。My criticisms make it seem like the book is something you should definitely skip， but it very well may be a matter of taste in the storytelling。 You won't throw the book away in frustration， but you may not like it as much as you hoped， like me。（This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press。） 。。。more
Rahel Charikar
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"A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks" by David Gibbins is a captivating exploration of human history through the lens of significant maritime disasters。 With meticulous detail and a wealth of archaeological knowledge， Gibbins weaves together the stories of twelve shipwrecks， ranging from the Viking warship of King Cnut the Great to the SS Gairsoppa sunk during World War II。 This ambitious undertaking results in a compelling narrative that spans the ages and illuminates not only the marit "A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks" by David Gibbins is a captivating exploration of human history through the lens of significant maritime disasters。 With meticulous detail and a wealth of archaeological knowledge， Gibbins weaves together the stories of twelve shipwrecks， ranging from the Viking warship of King Cnut the Great to the SS Gairsoppa sunk during World War II。 This ambitious undertaking results in a compelling narrative that spans the ages and illuminates not only the maritime tragedies but also the broader historical tapestry。Gibbins' expertise as a maritime archaeologist is evident throughout the book， as he takes readers on a journey beneath the waves to uncover the treasures and remnants of past civilizations preserved within shipwrecks。 The choice of twelve diverse wrecks allows for a comprehensive exploration of different historical periods， including the Bronze Age， Caesar's Rome， the Viking era， and Arctic exploration。What sets this book apart is its ability to transcend the mere retelling of shipwreck stories。 Gibbins skillfully connects these events to larger historical themes， such as the spread of people， religion， and ideas around the world。 The narrative unfolds as a tapestry of colonialism， migration， and the enduring human spirit that persists to this day。 It's not just a chronicle of ships lost at sea; it's a rich portrayal of the complexities of human history。The author's writing is accessible and engaging， making complex archaeological concepts and historical periods understandable to a wide audience。 Gibbins seamlessly integrates archaeological findings with historical context， offering readers a deeper understanding of the significance of each shipwreck in the broader context of world history。The inclusion of personal stories， such as those of the people who sailed on these ships， adds a human touch to the narrative， allowing readers to connect emotionally with the historical events。 The book succeeds in not only educating but also captivating the reader with the allure of underwater secrets and the untold stories waiting to be discovered beneath the waves。In conclusion， "A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks" is a four-star journey through time and across the seas， skillfully crafted by David Gibbins。 It is a testament to the author's expertise， offering readers a comprehensive and enthralling exploration of maritime history。 Whether you are interested in archaeology， history， or simply enjoy a well-told tale， this book provides a fascinating and immersive experience that brings the past to life through the secrets hidden beneath the ocean's surface。 。。。more
Bj
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Many thanks to St。 Martin's Press， who provided this 'uncorrected proof' of A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks for giveaway。 This is a book that I will refer to often in my thinking and discussions of the history of civilization。 David Gibbins has drawn on his extensive marine archeology/diving experience to flesh out the history of fascinating eras of our civilization。 Where the reader may have isolated facts from previous study， Gibbins is able to connect the dots for us （for me！） so Many thanks to St。 Martin's Press， who provided this 'uncorrected proof' of A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks for giveaway。 This is a book that I will refer to often in my thinking and discussions of the history of civilization。 David Gibbins has drawn on his extensive marine archeology/diving experience to flesh out the history of fascinating eras of our civilization。 Where the reader may have isolated facts from previous study， Gibbins is able to connect the dots for us （for me！） so that questions of who， what， how， and why are answered almost cinematically。 I trust that the final reading for publication will include numerous maps in the Illustrations。 His passion for his work， and the breadth of his knowledge of both history and of diving compel Gibbins to compose a gem of a series of insightful narratives。Because I am neither an historian nor an archeologist， I paced my reading to one wreck in a sitting。 I am impressed with the information conveyed about each era as exemplified by each ship， its crew， and its cargo。 I highly recommend this book to life-long learners！ 。。。more
Lori
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For a history book， there were way too many "I"s in this。 Other readers might be interested in the author's education & experiences diving， but I was reading it for the historical context。 I think there was too much padding to make this into a book。 I received an ARC of this book for my honest review。 For a history book， there were way too many "I"s in this。 Other readers might be interested in the author's education & experiences diving， but I was reading it for the historical context。 I think there was too much padding to make this into a book。 I received an ARC of this book for my honest review。 。。。more
Vanessa
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This is definitely good and I liked the premise。 But ultimately， there just wasn't enough information for my taste。 I appreciated some of the early entries more than later ones。 There is less information about these， but I enjoyed the author's use of the artifacts present in the archeological evidence to speculate about the people present at the shipwreck as well as the broader time period。 The later chapters almost have less information included， probably due to having more information about th This is definitely good and I liked the premise。 But ultimately， there just wasn't enough information for my taste。 I appreciated some of the early entries more than later ones。 There is less information about these， but I enjoyed the author's use of the artifacts present in the archeological evidence to speculate about the people present at the shipwreck as well as the broader time period。 The later chapters almost have less information included， probably due to having more information about the time so less need for speculation。I do feel inspired to read more about the Franklin expedition。 Lead poisoning + cannibalism！ How is that not interesting？ This is not the only time I read about it this month， as it is also included in an essay collection by Margaret Atwood。 The author actually gets extra points for not including the Titanic。 My unpopular opinion is that one is overdone and it bores me。I received an ARC from the publisher， via Netgalley， in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Whitney
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I love shipwrecks: their mystery， their abruptly-destroyed journeys， and what they say about the culture that sent them， and the culture that would receive them。 "A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks" attempts to distill the history of human communication and transportation into a smattering of maritime disasters， and on the whole it's an engaging， successful and interesting book。 From ancient Turkey to the frigid waters of the Arctic， Gibbons not only discusses the specificities of the s I love shipwrecks: their mystery， their abruptly-destroyed journeys， and what they say about the culture that sent them， and the culture that would receive them。 "A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks" attempts to distill the history of human communication and transportation into a smattering of maritime disasters， and on the whole it's an engaging， successful and interesting book。 From ancient Turkey to the frigid waters of the Arctic， Gibbons not only discusses the specificities of the ships， but how they were discovered， how archeologists studied them （some were by far more readily accessible than others） and how， if applicable， they were brought to the surface。 But Gibbons also concentrates on the historical context in which these ships sailed: what they carried， where they were going， and what their goods indicated about human culture and civilization。 Gibbons writes for an audience that's more learned than most - I found myself looking up things he offhandedly referenced， and terms I wasn't familiar with。 It's not really written for a general audience， and the vibe leans a little dry and dense here; however the writing itself was detailed， fascinating， and passionate on the subject。 I very much enjoyed the structure of the book （a chapter on each wreck） as it sailed closer to modern day。 Very much recommended for fans of maritime history， and history in general。 。。。more
Sadie
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A shipwreck captures the history of a single moment in time。 As an archeology major （even if I don't use my degree in my daily life lol） I love learning about history from the artifacts left behing so shipwrecks have always fascinated me。 Gibbins has spent practically his whole life entranced by shipwrecks and has explored many。 The twelve shipwrecks highlighted in this book are quite the variety。 I enjoyed getting to learn about the process for making sure an underwater excavation doesn't destr A shipwreck captures the history of a single moment in time。 As an archeology major （even if I don't use my degree in my daily life lol） I love learning about history from the artifacts left behing so shipwrecks have always fascinated me。 Gibbins has spent practically his whole life entranced by shipwrecks and has explored many。 The twelve shipwrecks highlighted in this book are quite the variety。 I enjoyed getting to learn about the process for making sure an underwater excavation doesn't destroy the items they are trying to excavate。 As an archeology nerd， this book was a really fun look into underwater archeology and 12 distinct times in the history of the world。 It is dense but I def recommend if you are interested in learning about our world through what we leave for those after us to find。 。。。more
Shannon
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