Fifty Ships That Changed the Course of History - (Fifty Things That Changed the Course of History) by Ian Graham (Paperback)

About the Book

"A beautiful guide to fifty water vessels that played a key role in world history and had a great impact on human civilization."--

Book Synopsis

"This is a beautiful book, replete with illustrations, photos, diagrams, and maps. The text balances technicality with storytelling, scholarly analysis with entertainment. It's a sweeping, fascinating look at barges, battleships, caravels, dhows, submarines, and more, placing them all in context with the battles, countries, discoveries, inventions, and people that surrounded them. Readers interested in history of any kind will enjoy this highly accessible book."
-- Publishers Weekly

From an ancient funeral ship to the Rainbow Warrior -- war, trade, science and pleasure on the open seas.

Fifty Ships that Changed the Course of History is a beautiful guide to 50 water vessels that played a key role in world history and had a great impact on human civilization. The book presents the ships chronologically, beginning with Pharaoh Khufu's solar barge from about 2566 BCE. The chapter includes a photograph of the reconstructed ship, discovered in 1954 near the Great Pyramid. Religious beliefs held that in the afterlife the pharaoh would need a ship to sail the cosmic waters of the sky with the sun god, Ra.

The book closes with another sun-seeking ship 4,000 years later. The epitome of an ocean cruise ship, the MS Allure of the Seas is the biggest passenger ship ever built. An Oasis-class cruise ship, it is a destination in itself, complete with a Central Park-like oasis, 18 decks, 5,492 passengers, and a crew of 2,384.

Between these landmark vessels is a variety of ships used for all of mankind's needs, from hunters searching for food, traders with goods to barter and warriors bent on conquest, to explorers longing to see what lay beyond the horizon. Over time, the first small primitive watercraft evolved into bigger seagoing vessels, shaping our history, culture and civilization along the way.

This attractive reference provides an innovative perspective on maritime and world history. It is an excellent selection for all collections.

Review Quotes

A seminal, original, groundbreaking, and inherently fascinating study... Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, Fifty Ships that Changed the Course of History is especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, college and university library Maritime History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.-- "Midwest Book Review" (5/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)

[Review of hardcover edition: ] A great library addition.-- "Ann Coombs Annual Holiday Gift Guide List 2016" (12/1/2016 12:00:00 AM)

[Review of hardcover edition: ] An excellent reference for secondary school libraries... Graham's book is visually appealing and offers enough of a story to get the imaginative juices of a budding historian going... The academy would be wise to take note and similarly dedicate some of its efforts to engaging the young men and women who will fill its ranks in the future.--Craig C. Felker "Historian Magazine" (4/1/2018 12:00:00 AM)

[Review of hardcover edition: ] The visual feast gives each ship about four pages of drawings, photos, particulars, and narrative laying out the role in "war, trade, science and pleasure" that qualified it for this relatively succinct list.-- "Wooden Boat Magazine" (1/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)

[Review of hardcover edition: ] This is a beautiful book, replete with illustrations, photos, diagrams, and maps. The text balances technicality with storytelling, scholarly analysis with entertainment. It's a sweeping, fascinating look at barges, battleships, caravels, dhows, submarines, and more, placing them all in context with the battles, countries, discoveries, inventions, and people that surrounded them. Readers interested in history of any kind will enjoy this highly accessible book.-- "Publishers Weekly" (1/16/2017 12:00:00 AM)

[Review of hardcover edition: ] This is a great volume to introduce readers to ships. Reference may not be its proper home, but general stacks in middle school through undergraduate, plus public libraries, will certainly find it appropriate.--Peter H. McCracken "American Reference Books Annual" (3/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)

[Review of hardcover edition: ] With classic illustrations and complete history of each, any historian of the waters will find this a more than worthy addition to any collection. Fifty Ships is certainly a game-changer in the world of nautical publications.-- "Shelf Life Magazine" (12/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Ian Graham is an author with more than 30 years' experience in popular science, technology and history. He has written extensively for magazines and has written and co-written more than 200 books on a wide range of topics, including space exploration, aviation, transport, energy, communications, inventions and military technology. He has a degree in applied physics and a postgraduate diploma in journalism. In 2012 he was the joint winner of the Royal Society Young People's Book Prize and in 2014 he was shortlisted for the Educational Writers' Award.