Portholes Into the Past
Are you ready to explore times gone by? If so, it certainly helps to have a top marine archaeologist as a guide. The expression about doing a “deep dive” has become a common one when referring to an in-depth examination, but here we literally get to dive deeply into oceans around the globe and cover thousands of years of history.
A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks is, as author David Gibbins explains, much more than an account of a dozen ships or 12 wrecks: It is a history of the world in which these shipwrecks “provide a springboard for looking into the wider historical context.” Your pilot has gotten more than a little wet behind the ears during his career — that started when he qualified as a diver in Canada at age 15. He has excavated or dived on more than half of the sites cited.
Landlubbers need not worry that this volume leans on a field too specialized to be comprehended. Fear not the “bends” (which can come from breathing nitrogen under pressure). While there are certainly details that will absorb scuba aficionados or occasional snorkelers, you don’t even need to be a novice on his first voyage to appreciate the trip.
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