A Short History of Seafaring Audiobook

A captivating tale spanning 5,000 years of the oceans' history, The Conquest of the Ocean tells the stories of the remarkable individuals who sailed seas, for trade, to conquer new lands, to explore the unknown.

From the early Polynesians to the first circumnavigations by the Portuguese and the British, these are awe-inspiring tales of epic sea voyages involving great feats of seamanship, navigation, endurance, and ingenuity. Explore the lives and maritime adventures, many with first-person narratives of land seekers and globe charters such as Christopher Columbus, Captain James Cook, and Vitus Bering.

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"[Author Brian] Lavery has a sound sense of how to interest new readers. He accentuates human-interest angles by quoting memoirists who experienced a famous naval battle or shipwreck or by sketching key individuals in the development of technological advances, such as ocean liners, submarines, and containerized shipping. Lavishly illustrating the extension of sea travel to transoceanic dimensions, Lavery's work ably serves a collection's need for a general, visually attractive chronicle of ships, sailors, and the sea."

— Booklist "[A] lavishly illustrated and readable work…Useful for research and enjoyable for leisure reading for students interested in naval history, exploration, and adventure.