A selection of the world's wrecks, from about 2500 BC to today. They have been chosen for their interest to the historian of seafaring and ship technology, to maritime explorers and archaeologists and to everyone fascinated by tales of human endurance, of treasure trove and of mystery on the high seas. The ships have come to grief through human weakness and natural hazards; the weather, fire, ignorance, neglect and commercial greed; and they represent a chronicle of ill fortune and human tragedy marked by such famous names as the Wasa, HMS Bounty, Lusitania, Titanic, and Torrey Canyon. Over 1000 ships from around the world have an entry, placed in the context of its time by a concise account of contemporary seafaring, trade routes and navigation methods, supported by a wealth of illustrations, line drawings and maps...