Out of the Depths: A History of Shipwrecks

A highly illustrated voyage through shipwrecks ancient and contemporary.

Out of the Depths explores all aspects of shipwrecks across four thousand years, examining their historical context and significance, showing how shipwrecks can be time capsules, and shedding new light on long-departed societies and civilizations. Alan G. Jamieson not only informs readers of the technological developments over the last sixty years that have made the true appreciation of shipwrecks possible, but he also covers shipwrecks in culture and maritime archaeology, their appeal to treasure hunters, and their environmental impacts. Although shipwrecks have become less common in recent decades, their implications have become more wide-ranging: since the 1960s, foundering supertankers have caused massive environmental disasters, and in 2021, the blocking of the Suez Canal by the giant container ship Ever Given had a serious effect on global trade.

Alan G. Jamieson is a researcher and writer based in Alberta, Canada. His books include the novel Crossroads of the Years and Lords of the Sea: A History of the Barbary Corsairs, the latter also published by Reaktion Books.