10 Ships That Rocked the World

Come aboard for daring stories that shaped history in surprising ways.

Ships have sailed through human history for thousands of years. Sometimes, their dramatic voyages have even changed the course of the world. For centuries, ships have brought cultures together in peace or conflict, played a role in wars and revolutions, and transformed societies.

Climb on deck for 10 ocean adventures, starting with the groundbreaking exploits of Zheng He’s 15th-century treasure ships and navigating unknown waters with Vasco da Gama’s São Gabriel. Sail on the Lady Penrhyn with the first convicts exiled to Australia, and on USS Susquehanna’s pivotal mission to Japan. Witness the tense confrontations of the Holocaust survivor ship Exodus 1947 in Israel and the Komagata Maru in Canada, and the standoff when Somali pirates seized the oil tanker Sirius Star.

You’ll discover how even small ships can make big waves, like the tiny yacht Granma, which played a major role in Cuba’s revolution, the ill-fated submarine H. L. Hunley, and Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior, a key player in the environmental movement.

With a rich variety of photos, maps, and striking illustrations, 10 Ships That Rocked the World reveals the crucial role ships played in some of history’s most significant dramas.