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

Simon Winchester

ISBN 10: 0062315412 / ISBN 13: 9780062315410

Published by Harper, 2015

About this Item

First Edition, 1st printing. Signed by the author on title page. Bright, clean & tight copy, unread, in Fine As New condition. "Simon Winchester tackles this 'oceanic behemoth of eye-watering complexity' by focusing on key moments since 1950 that speak to the greater trends and larger truths about the ocean's significance to us today. [] Winchester leads us from the Bering Strait to Cape Horn, the Yangtze River to the Panama Canal, and to the many small islands that lie in between. He recounts the atomic tests on the atoll of Bikini, which created a surreal landscape that must still be left vacant for fear of radiation poisoning. PACIFIC also tells the story of the little transistor radio and how it sparked the digital revolution, from Japan to Silicon Valley, altering the ocean's destiny. Winchester includes tales of alarming discoveries on the Great Barrier Reef and grand expeditions to mysterious vents on the ocean's floor. He examines the geopolitical shifts that shaped the ocean's vast land areas, from the rise of North Korea's rogue state to the end of European colonization, and addresses the environmental degradation and climate shifts that now threaten this majestic body of water. [] Along the way, Winchester looks at the political turmoil in Australia, the relationship between the Koreas, and recent confrontations that engaged China and the United States. 'The Pacific,' he writes, 'is the ocean where, quite literally, East meets West. . . There is challenge in the air, the sound of clashing swords and angry words.'" [jacket copy] "A series of high-resolution literary snapshots. . . As we've come to expect from Winchester, there are plenty of delights. . . his passionate research undergirds this superb analysis of a world wonder."--Kirkus Reviews. "Winchester does a virtuoso job. . . A giant Aladdin's rug, which he then gamely invites his readers to climb aboard."--The New York Times. Fine hardcover w/brilliant corners & crisp edges, a square & tight binding, wrapped in a bright-as-new jacket.

Seller Inventory # RUB3320

Bibliographic Details

• Title: PACIFIC: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers
• Publisher: Harper
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062315412
• ISBN 13: 9780062315410
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: As New
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

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.