Pacific

Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers

By: Simon Winchester

Narrated by: Simon Winchester

One of Library Journal’s 10 Best Books of 2015

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.

deliciously salty

I brought this along on a recent ocean crossing. Sailors and land lubbers alike will be entertained by this great writer.. I learned more about the nuclear testing and the health of the ocean from this era explored than any other history book.
I love the author and his entire body of work.
Like history ? You’ll enjoy this work. cc

awesome historical book <br />

I really enjoyed this book. The author presents a series of Pacific events that have changed the course of history and ends with timely advice for the future of Pacific cooperation.

Thought provoking

I live in the the middle of the Pacific and learned much about the ring of ocean and countries around me.

Just wish he had pronounced some Hawaiian words accurately. He is knowledgeable and his perspective makes one think about the past and the future.

beautifully written, charmingly read!

The book has brought about a rewakening of my love for history. Winchester makes history come to life in a way that I have only heard here!

His biases are very strong and often irritating.

Where does Pacific rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Its a B+.

What did you like best about this story?

When he stuck to factual history, it was fascinating.

What about Simon Winchester’s performance did you like?

Actually I would prefer a professional narrator. His English accent is sometimes hard to understand.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

History of undersea exploration.