A very interesting subject to tackle, but I found the writing to be a bit dull and academic. While there was a lot of information presented, it lacked the drama and tension that helps bring non-fiction to life. However, it was compelling to hear from such an accomplished professional diver... he must lead a very interesting life.

Thank you for allowing me early access to review this title!

A fascinating look at how 12 shipwrecks influenced history. Focusing mostly on trade and wealth, the book dives (pun intended) into the shipwrecks and how they allow historians to appear into the lives at the time.

I liked the set up of the book, talking about the shipwreck, the location, and the dive. Then it got to the what was found in the shipwreck and how the items relate.

With a particular emphasis on trade and how Europe (for the most part) traded was really insightful.

I wish that there had been more shipwrecks from around the world. It was mostly focused upon Britian and around the island.

Overall I liked the book and learned a lot.

This book opened my eyes to how much shipwrecks have helped us learn about history and how some of them have acted like time capsules. This book will appeal to readers who want to know more about what we've learned from shipwrecks rather than a focus on how they sank.
The twelve shipwrecks explored in this book span history from ancient times to WWII and explains how the discoveries the archeologists found can explain the economic and cultural landscapes of their time period. I also appreciated the first-hand accounts we got from the the shipwrecks the author personally dove to. The book left me wondering what else we will discover from other found shipwrecks or underwater archeology.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history. David Gibbins takes the reader on a tour through the centuries, starting in the bronze age and ending up in World War 2. The concept of the book (and it's a neat one) is that ship wrecks from various periods of history are used.as jumping off points to lay out the political, cultural, and especially economical networks shaping a given period. This makes a lot of sense since ships are the technology that humanity has used to engage in migration, colonization, warfare, and, most of all, trade, establishing material and cultural links among distinct populations around the globe. This expansive, globalist outlook on history makes for a much more interesting and satisfying presentation of historical events, compared to one in which authors focus on particular events in particular places (like a single person, war or revolution). In that respect Gibbins' rendition of world history is similar to, and equally engaging to read as, "A Splendid Exchange" by William Bernstein.

Gibbins is an accomplished archeological diver, scholar and academic on the subject, and can draw the reader in with first-person accounts of visits to most of the shipwrecks and sites he describes. From there, he effortlessly draws back his lens to the historical context and events surrounding each wreck. He also establishes the temporal context of each period, pointing out the developments, sometimes spanning centuries leading up to, and resulting from each moment in history. The presentation is vivid and engaging, often using the fates of individuals, as reflected in artifacts and documents, to bring an entire historical period to life. No doubt Gibbins' experience as both an academic and a fiction writer serves him well here.

Notes to the editor/publisher: The uncorrected digital galley I reviewed had no noticeable issues as far as the text was concerned, with one exception. The quote from the German U-boat captain's log (chapter 12) has several misspellings and should read "dass nach Detonation viele Taschenlampen, insbesondere auf Bootsdeck und Seitendeck" (and there seems to be a verb missing, to the effect of "could be seen").

If at all possible, this book should include relevant maps and pictures of the ships/wrecks, portaits and artifacts. The illustrations provided with the galley consisted exclusively of underwater photographs related to the author's dives on the wrecks, but are not sufficient to illustrate the geography and material objects (including the ships in their original form) referenced in the book.

I have a weakness for books that advertise themselves as “A History of the World in [cardinal number] [noun]”. I have read a book about Six Glasses, want to read a book about Nine Mysterious Scripts, and listened to a BBC podcast about 100 Objects. But this particular combination of cardinal number and noun did not really reach out and grab my undivided attention, although I am at a loss to explain why.

The writing is certainly clear enough in most of the book, although occasionally you run across a sentence which might be improved by an accompanying illustration, like: “The Langdon Bay assemblage includes so-called ‘palstaves’, which were cast with flanges to keep the wooden haft in place and a side-loop for twine or rawhide to bind the head to the bindle” (Kindle location 304).

I thought that the phrase “we shall see” appears too frequently for my liking (often in the phrase “as we shall see”). I tend to think: don't tell me I'll see it, just show it to me. However, my Kindle search function tells me that it appears 16 times in a 384-page book, which I guess is not so bad. Still, I found it distracting.

The scholarship seems excellent, although I have one factual nit-pick, which is (at location 686): “... Homer, who wrote in the Greek language …”. I was, at the same time I was reading this book, reading a book that presents a great deal of evidence that Homer (whether person or committee) did not write in any language, although some disagree and it seems unlikely that the question will ever be resolved completely.

I guess I was hoping for a little more drama in the author's personal narrative. The author is apparently an accomplished and sought-after diver, and works with various impressive-sounding government, academic, and private institutions to explore shipwrecks and bring them up to where the rest of us can get a look at them. Everyone is very professional, apparently, which is admirable but doesn't make for such a compelling read. Didn't anybody ever disagree? No oversized egos? No bureaucratic bungling? No comic moments? No ridiculous mistakes? Including stories like this in your narrative is what brings a non-fiction book alive, in my sight, but there wasn't anything like that in this book.

This book was conceived and executed in a professional manner, but it just didn't entertain me in the way I wanted to be entertained. Still, it had a lot of interesting information.

Download a .pdf containing some cool color photos that will appear in the book at the URL below.

https://bit.ly/HistoryShipwreckPhotos

I received a free electronic advance review copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A fascinating history of shipwrecks juxtaposed against the historical setting of their time. The account of the British shipwreck, the Mary Rose, was a particular interest as it was during the reign of Henry VIII. The author’s first-hand knowledge of diving the wrecks brings an intimacy to the wreck’s history and all those who perished in pursuit of exploration of the unknown. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed are my own.

I have read about white a few of these shipwrecks and their history. This was a very interesting perspective and a great read for history fans and discovers.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins from St. Martin’s Press/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

While David Gibbins obviously knows his stuff and is a very clear communicator, this book just wasn’t for me. They style was too much like that found in a college textbook, and I found myself annoyed with how much of the content seemed to be about hypothetical scenarios.

I read the first chapter, then skimmed the second, then flipped through the third (well, if one can “flip through” an electronic chapter) before calling it quits.

I’m sure there are plenty of folks out there who will find this an excellent entry into its field, though.

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

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

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

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

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

David Gibbins new book is almost overwhelming in its description of world history. Greek, Roman, Egyptian, East and Far East History are brought into true focus with this telling of trade and travel. It is so literate, so beautifully written, one needs an encyclopedia to read this book. He takes the reader around world history with his eloquent deliveries. His personal identifications of the shipwrecks makes this compelling reading. His attention to detail, place names and the voyages involved reminds us that mariners and passengers shared the same fate. This is a must read for anyone who shares a love of history. I loved it! Brilliant!

Tons of information here, but I found it very dry.
A better book for scholars than for interested laymen.

This book was a fantastic look into the world of marine archaeology and how crucial their finds can be for learning about society at large. The author himself is an underwater archaeologist who has dived at several sites, including most of the ones mentioned in this book. Each chapter focuses on a different shipwreck which in turn illuminates a different time in history. Gibbins has deftly weaved the excitement of discovery and exploration with an explanation of how these wrecks can tell us about the lives of the people living at the time, such as the type of surgical tools found on some of the ships discussed. In finding and studying these shipwrecks, archaeologists can form a clearer picture of life on land, and gain a better understanding of society over time. I think the most interesting part was seeing just how interconnected far flung places were through water trade routes, even the older wrecks Gibbins described held evidence of trade and contact between very different locations. This was a fun read and easy to get through, Gibbins writing style is clear and engaging, making reading a breeze and compelling.

A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks is a novel way to explore history. It is a clever way to examine shipwrecks over centuries and reveals patterns of travel, expansion, with buries treasures and adventure on the sea.

Back to Bronze Age with brave Vikings, which brings you through the ships on cold blue sea. The brave men with enthusiastic songs. The religion, invasion and even plundering for treasures. Go with the marine archaeologist, explore the ship wrecks and get the full image of Vikings in those Bronze Age.

Thank you to the publisher for this eARC! I love very specific/"niche" non-fiction topics, so my interest was extremely piqued when this one popped up as being available to request. I love the ocean but am also undeniably terrified of it— it's just so *vast*, and there's so much we don't even know yet! I can't wait to really dive into this read and all the valuable knowledge it holds, and I'm also super excited to promote it out to others as being something very unique in its topic (and approach to it), as well as for its educational value ☺

Interesting and unique perspective of history told completely by archeological findings from boat wrecks. I have never heard of history being told from this view. The writer does a great job of linking history to the archeological finds of the ocean.

Synopsis (From Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
*******************************************************

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, was destroyed by a Nazi U-boat in the Atlantic during World War II.

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

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

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

I am quite fascinated by shipwrecks as they are such a part of history – but in many ways, I think that they should be considered tombs and not explored - like the Titanic submersible implosion…be careful what you wish for as you are now (well your micro fragments) buried with them.

An utterly gripping and informative book, this is a great book for an individual reader and bookclubs and I will highly recommend it.

#shortbutsweetreviews