Following his acclaimed Atlantic and The Men Who United the States, New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester offers an enthralling biography of the Pacific Ocean and its role in the modern world, exploring our relationship with this imposing force of nature.
As the Mediterranean shaped the classical world, and the Atlantic connected Europe to the New World, the Pacific Ocean defines our tomorrow. With China on the rise, so, too, are the American cities of the West coast, including Seattle, San Francisco, and the long cluster of towns down the Silicon Valley.
Today, the Pacific is ascendant. Its geological history has long transformed us—tremendous earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis—but its human history, from a Western perspective, is quite young, beginning with Magellan’s sixteenth-century circumnavigation. It is a natural wonder whose most fascinating history is currently being made.
In telling the story of the Pacific, Simon Winchester takes us from the Bering Strait to Cape Horn, the Yangtze River to the Panama Canal, and to the many small islands and archipelagos that lie in between. He observes the fall of a dictator in Manila, visits aboriginals in northern Queensland, and is jailed in Tierra del Fuego, the land at the end of the world. His journey encompasses a trip down the Alaska Highway, a stop at the isolated Pitcairn Islands, a trek across South Korea and a glimpse of its mysterious northern neighbor.
Winchester’s personal experience is vast and his storytelling second to none. And his historical understanding of the region is formidable, making Pacific a paean to this magnificent sea of beauty, myth, and imagination that is transforming our lives. Views: 837
First published in 1968, Desert Solitaire is one of Edward Abbey’s most critically acclaimed works and marks his first foray into the world of nonfiction writing. Written while Abbey was working as a ranger at Arches National Park outside of Moab, Utah, Desert Solitaire is a rare view of one man’s quest to experience nature in its purest form.
Through prose that is by turns passionate and poetic, Abbey reflects on the condition of our remaining wilderness and the future of a civilization that cannot reconcile itself to living in the natural world as well as his own internal struggle with morality. As the world continues its rapid development, Abbey’s cry to maintain the natural beauty of the West remains just as relevant today as when this book was written. Views: 834
In Star Gods, the action returns to an alien home world, where the alien Alessia is raised. Her mentor, Hinev, creates the immortality serum and tests it on his pupil, Alessia, who becomes one of her planet's intergalactic explorers. The explorers eventually visit the Earth of the ancient past on their long journey in space.In Star Gods, the action returns to an alien home world, where the alien Alessia is raised. Her mentor, Hinev, creates the immortality serum and tests it on his pupil, Alessia, who becomes one of her planet's intergalactic explorers. The explorers eventually visit the Earth of the ancient past on their long journey in space. On Earth, they influence the development of our ancient civilizations. Their journey leads them to believe that an ancient progenitor race 'seeded' the galaxy with life cultures that developed into life on several worlds... But where did these mysterious people come from, and where did they go? Views: 833
Thirteen years ago, Moab Is My Washpot, Stephen Fry's autobiography of his early years, was published to rave reviews and was a huge best seller. In the years since, Stephen Fry has moved into a completely new stratosphere, both as a public figure, and a private man. Now he is not just a multi-award-winning comedian and actor, but also an author, director, and presenter. Views: 826
A short story of a woman named Elaine and her journeys, first to Pennsylvania, and then later, to Maine.A short story of a woman named Elaine and her journeys, first to Pennsylvania, and then later, to Maine. Her dreams lead her to New York City, where she meets Robert. Views: 824
This is a short story about Caesar's Civil War that began in 49 B.C. involving Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. During the story, the two generals meet at the battle of Pharsalus in 48 B.C.This is a short story set during one of Rome's civil wars-—Caesar's Civil War which was fought between Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. The story begins after Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon river. Caesar and Pompey are embroiled in a war whose outcome will determine the future of the Roman Republic. During the story, the two generals battle several times as their armies traverse the Roman Republic's territories, ultimately meeting at the battle of Pharsalus in 48 B.C. Views: 819
In the late 1980s, New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester set out on foot to discover the Republic of Korea -- from its southern tip to the North Korean border -- in order to set the record straight about this enigmatic and elusive land.
Fascinating for its vivid presentation of historical and geographic detail, Korea is that rare book that actually defines a nation and its people. Winchester's gift for capturing engaging characters in true, compelling stories provides us with a treasury of enchanting and informed insight on the culture, language, history, and politics of this little-known corner of Asia.
With a new introduction by the author, Korea is a beautiful journey through a mysterious country and a memorable addition to the many adventures of Simon Winchester. Views: 819
The Paul et Virginie (or Paul and Virginia) is a novel. The novel's title characters are very good friends since birth who fall in love. The story is set in the island of Mauritius under French rule, then named Île de France, which the author had visited. Written on the eve of the French Revolution, the novel is hailed as Bernardin's finest work. It records the fate of a child of nature corrupted by the false, artificial sentimentality that prevailed at the time among the upper classes of France. Views: 810
A Dangerous Kind of Love . . . When Ellie Watt offered herself to her thuggish former lover Javier to save Camden's life, she never imagined the twisted game Javier had planned for her. Trapped by him and his entourage of killers, Ellie is forced to commit a dangerous, heinous crime-or Javier will kill Camden. Now ex-con artist Ellie must find a way to stay ahead of the game . . . before it destroys her and the only man she ever loved. Camden McQueen can't forget Ellie Watt. Seeking revenge and pursued by the authorities for a crime he didn't commit, the talented tattoo artist does things he never thought himself capable of to save Ellie. As Camden straddles the line between love and retribution, he vows to do everything in his power to get her back. But if Camden unleashes his dark side, will Ellie still love him? Views: 800
Grant Thornton, a wealthy New Yorker, has finally gone into remission from cancer. He is going through a rough time when he meets Lila.Nicolas, a once successful author, now struggles to make a comeback. His agent pays him and unexpected visit, and triggers a series of things that start to go terribly wrong. A past as grave as Nicolas' is best left undisturbed. Views: 799
The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean (1858) is a novel written by Scottish author R. M. Ballantyne. One of the first works of juvenile fiction to feature exclusively juvenile heroes, the story relates the adventures of three boys marooned on a South Pacific island, the only survivors of a shipwreck. A typical Robinsonade – a genre of fiction inspired by Daniel Defoe\'s Robinson Crusoe – and one of the most popular of its type, the book first went on sale in late 1857 and has never been out of print. Among the novel\'s major themes are the civilising effect of Christianity, 19th-century British imperialism in the South Pacific, and the importance of hierarchy and leadership. It was the inspiration for William Golding\'s dystopian novel Lord of the Flies (1954), which inverted the morality of The Coral Island; in Ballantyne\'s story the children encounter evil, but in Lord of the Flies evil is within them. Views: 798
You are here invited to read the story of an Event which occurred in an out-of-the-way corner of England, some years since. The persons principally concerned in the Event are:—a blind girl; two (twin) brothers; a skilled surgeon; and a curious foreign woman. I am the curious foreign woman. And I take it on myself—for reasons which will presently appear—to tell the story. So far we understand each other. Good. I may make myself known to you as briefly as I can. I am Madame Pratolungo—widow of that celebrated South American patriot, Doctor Pratolungo. I am French by birth. Before I married the Doctor, I went through many vicissitudes in my own country. They ended in leaving me (at an age which is of no consequence to anybody) with some experience of the world; with a cultivated musical talent on the pianoforte; and with a comfortable little fortune unexpectedly bequeathed to me by a relative of my dear dead mother (which fortune I shared with good Papa and with my younger sisters). To these qualifications I added another, the most precious of all, when I married the Doctor; namely—a strong infusion of ultra-liberal principles. Vive la République! Views: 797
The soul of a pedantic attorney plays hooky and falls in love.Shanna and her fellow monster hunters travel to New Orleans to investigate the disappearance of several students from a local private school. Of the many leads, they focus on a mansion bordering the property that is rumored to be haunted, opting to spend their nights within its decrepit walls to record any paranormal activity.While she is excited to be included in the mission, returning so close to home drudges up memories that Krystal would rather forget, forcing her to confront the dark roots of her powers as local voodoo legends seem to come to life around her.Betrayal is still fresh for the hunters, and as Shanna tries to cope with recent events and lose herself in the new mystery that surrounds them, she finds that she has to step up her game when things go downhill fast, and is left to make hard choices that could cost her friends their lives. Views: 795
"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. Views: 791
