War at Sea

The ocean is humanity's largest battlefield. Resting in its depths lie the lost ships of war, spanning the totality of human history. Many wrecks are nameless, others from more recent times are remembered, honored even, as are the battles that claimed them, like Actium, Trafalgar, Tsushima, Jutland, Pearl Harbor, and Midway. Underwater exploration is increasingly discovering long-lost warships from the deepest parts of the ocean, revealing a vast undersea museum that speaks to battles won and lost, service, sacrifice, and the human costs of warfare.

War at Sea is a dramatic global tour of this remote museum and other formerly lost traces of humanity's naval heritage. It is also an account by the world's leading naval archaeologist of how underwater exploration has discovered these remains, thus resolving mysteries, adding to our understanding of the past, and providing intimate details of the experience of naval warfare. Arranged chronologically, the book begins with the warships and battles of the ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Chinese, and then progresses through three thousand years to the lost ships of the Cold War.

James Delgado, who has personally explored, dived, and studied a number of the wrecks and sites in the book, provides insights as an explorer, archaeologist, and storyteller. The result is a unique and compelling history of naval warfare. From fallen triremes and galleons to dreadnoughts, aircraft carriers, and nuclear submarines, this book vividly brings thousands of years of naval warfare to life.

"From an author who has spent four decades in the quest for lost ships, this lavishly illustrated history of naval warfare presents the latest archaeology of sunken warships. It provides a unique perspective on the evolution of naval conflicts, strategies, and technologies, while vividly conjuring up the dangerous life of war at sea"--

In WAR AT SEA, James P. Delgado delivers a sweeping history of naval warfare told through the evidence of sunken ships scattered around the globe . . . readers may wish to know more of Mr. Delgado's personal experience, given the hints he offers of his own shipwreck searches. Having written a highly readable survey of naval warfare and technology, he clearly has more stories to tell.
- THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Awe-inspiring.
-FOREWORD REVIEWS

A detailed and well-documented global tour of the history of lost warships over 3,000 years of prehistory and history . . . an incredible piece of research by
one of the pioneers of underwater cultural studies . . . a masterpiece that
will be a benchmark for understanding the significance of shipwreck
history for decades to come.
- THE NAVAL HISTORICAL FOUNDATION

James Delgado is the Sherlock Holmes of sunken warship investigation, perhaps the most respected and renowned military marine archeological expert of all time. Fascinating and dramatic, War at Sea is his most recent book, a treasury of intrigue and enigmas from the countless sunken warships that lie on the bottom of oceans, lakes, and rivers. --Clive Cussler, bestselling novelist and founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency

There is no finer maritime historian alive today than James Delgado. His new book War at Sea is a stunning example of his broad knowledge of all times historical beneath the sea. I strongly recommend it to anyone who is not only interested in naval history but enjoys a good story as well. A must read!--Robert D. Ballard, discoverer of the RMS Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck

Compelling and captivating. A real tour de force. Delgado takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the history of warships from antiquity to the present, focusing especially on the relevant shipwrecks and fragmentary remains that have been recovered by maritime archaeologists. Magisterial.--Eric Cline, author of 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed

Combining vast, up-to-the-minute scholarship with his extensive personal experience exploring the shipwrecks of the world, James Delgado has created an encyclopedic history of war at sea that is also a fun and fascinating read. Wonderfully illustrated, this is maritime history at its best.-Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Hurricane's Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown