"Variably genial, cautionary, lyrical, admonitory, terrifying, horrifying and inspiring…A lifetime of thought, travel, reading, imagination and memory inform this affecting account." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Blending history and anecdote, geography and reminiscence, science and exposition, New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester tells the breathtaking saga of the Atlantic Ocean. A gifted storyteller and consummate historian, Winchester sets the great blue sea's epic narrative against the backdrop of mankind's intellectual evolution, telling not only the story of an ocean, but the story of civilization. Fans of Winchester's Krakatoa, The Man Who Loved China , and The Professor and the Madman will love this masterful, penetrating, and resonant tale of humanity finding its way across the ocean of history.
Review
" Atlantic...is at once satisying, suspenseful (no mean trick on the subject of an ocean), thought-provoking, occasionally funny, and always absorbing. So big a subject as the Atlantic Ocean requires a certain largeness of spirit, and amplitude of descriptive power, and Simon Winchester is gloriously up to the task."
-- "Daily Beast"
"[An] epic new book...With his excellent research and engrossing anecdotes about the ocean as a 'living thing, ' Winchester spotlights its inspiration on poets, painters, and writers in its majestic beauty...Winchester's sea saga is necessary reading for those who want to understand the planet better."
-- "Publishers Weekly "
"[A] tale about the Atlantic Ocean that is variably genial, cautionary, lyrical, admonitory, terrifying, horrifying, and inspiring...A lifetime of thought, travel, reading, imagination, and memory inform this affecting account."
-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "
"A formidable writer and storyteller."
-- "Entertainment Weekly"
"Convincing...A fascinating look at a long sweep of history."
-- "Los Angeles Times"
"Fascinating...Simon Winchester's storytelling abilities shine, with personal anecdote and research expertly woven."
-- "Guardian (London) "
"Few writers working today can tackle such broad, sprawling--and at times overwhelming--material as Simon Winchester and deliver it with such skill, verve, and grace...Epic...Winchester is a master craftsman, and Atlantic is well worth the effort...deftly executed, audacious."
-- "Miami Herald "
"History is rarely as charming and entertaining as when it's told by Simon Winchester. There are fabulous set pieces in Atlantic --on piracy, on packet ships, on trans-Atlantic cables and the speeding up of information, on codfish, on sea bass, on plankton."
-- "New York Times Book Review "
"Inspired."
-- "San Francisco Chronicle "
"Interesting and informative...Mr. Winchester's yarns are not just sea stories; they are documented adventures...delightful...a fantastic yarn."
-- "Washington Times "
"Mr. Winchester--a trained geologist and inveterate globetrotter--is well suited to tell the story. And he tells it with the sort of panache that he has brought to previous books...His lively, lyrical telling of the ocean's story does much to sharpen our appreciation."
-- "Wall Street Journal"
"Mr. Winchester's latest work of nonfiction is, like the thirty-six-pound cod my father caught forty years ago in the deep sea two hours out of Plymouth, Mass., 'a keepuh' (New England parlance)...It's one of those you'd like to keep on a shelf for another read some time in the future."
-- "Baltimore Sun"
"Of all of Winchester's amazingly educational and entertaining books...his latest one is perhaps the most unique and the most creative in its approach...As we learn from one of the most wondrous facts presented here, oceans actually do have life spans...Lively and extensive...Winchester's latest is bound to follow his previous books onto bestseller lists, and this one should be promoted as one of his best."
-- "Booklist"
"Refreshing...a work of 'high specific gravity' and an outstanding example of popular historical scholarship."
-- "Times Literary Supplement (London) "
"Simon Winchester is one of those maddeningly gifted British writers who could probably write the history of mud and make it fascinating. In fact, he sort of did...A rollicking ride...No one tells a better yarn than Winchester."
-- "Washington Post"
"Telling the story of 'the classic ocean of our imaginings' is a huge undertaking, but Simon Winchester manages it with aplomb."
-- "Economist"
"Winchester vividly describes how the Atlantic Ocean was born about 190 million years ago, continues to spread at the rate of about an inch a year, and could well disappear as we know it in just another 180 million years...Delightful."
-- "USA Today"
"Wonderful, encyclopedic...enthralling...Winchester brings us down to sea level and makes us realize what we owe to the Atlantic."
MP3 CD Format
"Variably genial, cautionary, lyrical, admonitory, terrifying, horrifying and inspiring…A lifetime of thought, travel, reading, imagination and memory inform this affecting account." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Blending history and anecdote, geography and reminiscence, science and exposition, New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester tells the breathtaking saga of the Atlantic Ocean. A gifted storyteller and consummate historian, Winchester sets the great blue sea's epic narrative against the backdrop of mankind's intellectual evolution, telling not only the story of an ocean, but the story of civilization. Fans of Winchester's Krakatoa, The Man Who Loved China , and The Professor and the Madman will love this masterful, penetrating, and resonant tale of humanity finding its way across the ocean of history.
Review
" Atlantic...is at once satisying, suspenseful (no mean trick on the subject of an ocean), thought-provoking, occasionally funny, and always absorbing. So big a subject as the Atlantic Ocean requires a certain largeness of spirit, and amplitude of descriptive power, and Simon Winchester is gloriously up to the task."
-- "Daily Beast"
"[An] epic new book...With his excellent research and engrossing anecdotes about the ocean as a 'living thing, ' Winchester spotlights its inspiration on poets, painters, and writers in its majestic beauty...Winchester's sea saga is necessary reading for those who want to understand the planet better."
-- "Publishers Weekly "
"[A] tale about the Atlantic Ocean that is variably genial, cautionary, lyrical, admonitory, terrifying, horrifying, and inspiring...A lifetime of thought, travel, reading, imagination, and memory inform this affecting account."
-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "
"A formidable writer and storyteller."
-- "Entertainment Weekly"
"Convincing...A fascinating look at a long sweep of history."
-- "Los Angeles Times"
"Fascinating...Simon Winchester's storytelling abilities shine, with personal anecdote and research expertly woven."
-- "Guardian (London) "
"Few writers working today can tackle such broad, sprawling--and at times overwhelming--material as Simon Winchester and deliver it with such skill, verve, and grace...Epic...Winchester is a master craftsman, and Atlantic is well worth the effort...deftly executed, audacious."
-- "Miami Herald "
"History is rarely as charming and entertaining as when it's told by Simon Winchester. There are fabulous set pieces in Atlantic --on piracy, on packet ships, on trans-Atlantic cables and the speeding up of information, on codfish, on sea bass, on plankton."
-- "New York Times Book Review "
"Inspired."
-- "San Francisco Chronicle "
"Interesting and informative...Mr. Winchester's yarns are not just sea stories; they are documented adventures...delightful...a fantastic yarn."
-- "Washington Times "
"Mr. Winchester--a trained geologist and inveterate globetrotter--is well suited to tell the story. And he tells it with the sort of panache that he has brought to previous books...His lively, lyrical telling of the ocean's story does much to sharpen our appreciation."
-- "Wall Street Journal"
"Mr. Winchester's latest work of nonfiction is, like the thirty-six-pound cod my father caught forty years ago in the deep sea two hours out of Plymouth, Mass., 'a keepuh' (New England parlance)...It's one of those you'd like to keep on a shelf for another read some time in the future."
-- "Baltimore Sun"
"Of all of Winchester's amazingly educational and entertaining books...his latest one is perhaps the most unique and the most creative in its approach...As we learn from one of the most wondrous facts presented here, oceans actually do have life spans...Lively and extensive...Winchester's latest is bound to follow his previous books onto bestseller lists, and this one should be promoted as one of his best."
-- "Booklist"
"Refreshing...a work of 'high specific gravity' and an outstanding example of popular historical scholarship."
-- "Times Literary Supplement (London) "
"Simon Winchester is one of those maddeningly gifted British writers who could probably write the history of mud and make it fascinating. In fact, he sort of did...A rollicking ride...No one tells a better yarn than Winchester."
-- "Washington Post"
"Telling the story of 'the classic ocean of our imaginings' is a huge undertaking, but Simon Winchester manages it with aplomb."
-- "Economist"
"Winchester vividly describes how the Atlantic Ocean was born about 190 million years ago, continues to spread at the rate of about an inch a year, and could well disappear as we know it in just another 180 million years...Delightful."
-- "USA Today"
"Wonderful, encyclopedic...enthralling...Winchester brings us down to sea level and makes us realize what we owe to the Atlantic."
-- "Telegraph (London) "