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  • Pacific

  • Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers
  • Written by: Simon Winchester
  • Narrated by: Simon Winchester
  • Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (17 ratings)

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Pacific

Written by: Simon Winchester
Narrated by: Simon Winchester
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Publisher's Summary

Following his acclaimed Atlantic and The Men Who United the States, New York Times best-selling 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 16th-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, from 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.

©2015 Simon Winchester (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

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Enjoyable

My third Simon Winchester audible book and each one enjoyable . Preparing to move onto my next one . Thank you Audible for having him as an author.

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A fascinating history of the pacific

Not what I was expecting when I began listening to the book, but I was impressed by the engaging telling of the history of the people, places, geology, flora and fauna that make up this incredible ocean and the people who call this part of the world home.

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How exciting could a book about an ocean be?

Well, Simon Winchester never fails. It's fantastic and interesting in my opinion. Expertly written in beautiful language and performed by the author. It made for a lot of fact swapping at the dinner table. Can't wait to listen to Atlantic next!

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