Shipwreck: A History of Disasters at Sea

Maritime expert and acclaimed historian Sam Willis recounts the astonishing tales of ships that have met with disastrous ends. Bringing the events of the time to life, he describes the acts of courage, moments of sacrifice, and episodes of villainy that occurred as the sea threatened. From the engineers of the Titanic, who continued to run the generators in the bowels of the sinking ship; to the terrible plight of the USS Indianapolis's crew, who fell prey to sharks in the Pacific; from the sinking of the Lusitania; to a sperm whale's attack on the Essex so extraordinary that Herman Melville immortalized the event in Moby Dick; these stories have intrigued us for centuries, capturing the imagination of artists and writers. Sam Willis’ enthralling narrative also sheds light on the causes and consequences of each sinking and how the discovery of each wreck has revealed remarkable stories of heroism and tragedy.