Atlantic

Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms,and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories

By: Simon Winchester

Narrated by: Simon Winchester

Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

From best-selling author Simon Winchester comes the immense and thrilling story of the world's most mysterious and breathtaking natural wonder: the Atlantic Ocean.

Atlantic is a biography of a tremendous space that has been central to the ambitions of explorers, scientists, and warriors, and continues to affect profoundly our character, attitudes, and dreams. Spanning the ocean's story, from its geological origins to the age of exploration, from World War II battles to today's struggles with pollution and over-fishing, Winchester's narrative is epic, intimate, and awe inspiring.

Until a thousand years ago, few humans ventured into the Atlantic or imagined traversing its vast infinity. But once the first daring mariners successfully navigated to its far shores - whether they were Vikings, the Irish, the Basques, John Cabot, or Christopher Columbus in the north, or the Portuguese and the Spanish in the south - the Atlantic swiftly evolved in the world's growing consciousness of itself as an enclosed body of water. Soon it became the fulcrum of Western civilization. More than a mere history, Atlantic is an unforgettable journey of unprecedented scope by one of the most gifted writers in the English language.

©2010 Simon Winchester (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

King of Natural History

Simon Winchester is a master of natural histories. His works are varied and all-encompassing. I appreciate how he is able to string disparate stories together under the same theme. Atlantic was amazing. The ocean is my favorite subject and I listened to it right after Winchester’s Pacific. I follow along with a map so I can learn new geographies and keep track of where in the world the story takes place. I really enjoyed this and am sad it’s over. The final chapters left me feeling how the end of any good book feels; longing for more.

So important yet taken for granted

What did you like best about Atlantic? What did you like least?

Best: the description of the birth of the Atlantic and the history of it's exploration. Excellent explanations and recounting of a lot of history in an understandable, succinct way. Loved the historical anecdotes. Although it was hard to hear, there was an important message about mankind's abuse of the ocean and it's sea life.
Least: the overall structure of the book. It was, at points, an obvious stretch to make the content fit the structure. Instead of the structure helping to lay out so much information in a helpful way, it just made it feel like a hodgepodge. Also, didn't like the sections of the Atlantic portrayed in art and literature. Really disliked the comparisons between coastal cities. There were too many personal anecdotes.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

A different structure instead of the Shakespearean reference.
Less personal information and much less about how certain experiences affected the author. The personal commentary seemed out of place at times. I appreciate the author's appreciation of things, but seemed over-sentimental.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I love Simon Winchester as a narrator. Great voice. The only times I didn't care for the narration was during the sentimental portions-a little too affected.

Was Atlantic worth the listening time?

Overall, yes. Some interesting and important information. You just have to push through the sentimentality and the topics that don't really fit.

Any additional comments?

Simon Winchester is an excellent author and narrator. This book was good but it could have been amazing. He is so talented imparting information about history and science, but I find him less talented as an essayist.

An homage to Atlas

Magnificent. Brilliant, captivating i listening to the book over & over chapter by chapter, savoring its wisdom & stories like a delectable dessert. Simon Winchester is a master at making history & the earth come alive in ways one could hardly imagine. Pure perfection

I will read all of Winchester's books because....

Would you listen to Atlantic again? Why?

Yes, the narrator has a soothing intelligent voice of reason and he makes anything fascinating.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Atlantic?

Description of a South Atlantic island and how a friend ended up running the fishing industry there.

Any additional comments?

I will read everything SW writes. He's a pillar of knowledge and truth in a confusing world.

Interesting personal account in author's voice

I truly enjoyed hearing the author read his book. It made his personal accounts and stories more memorable. The author has a very interesting way of presenting information.

Another Splendid Book from a Great Author

Simon Winchester writes books like no author I have ever read. He can take a word, like "Pacific" or "Atlantic" and weave it in to the grand story that you never knew, and feel you ought to have known. His intellectual powers are prodigious, yet he is a man with a soul -- as the moving ending to this book, on a forlorn and forgotten beach -- amply demonstrates. Best of all this audiobook is actually read by the author. No actor could give more power to words which Winchester researched and lived.

Winchester writes in the finest traditions of the best authors I have ever read, people like Andrew Chaiken, Richard Rhodes and Norman Mailer -- who know that melodrama is no substitute for exhaustive research. I highly recommend this, and every other Winchester book I have ever read: "Krakatoa", "Pacific" and "A Crack in the Edge of the World". I intend to read his others. Sincerely, Dan Fiorucci Odessa, TX. July 2017

Wonderful

A bit scolding towards the end but a great historical journey around my home ocean.

Lovely way to enjoy one of his books

His voice makes the book even better than it would have been. The personification of the ocean, his storytelling (whether historical or personal) is captivating, and it is such a dense book without feeling burdensome.

Stunning Book

This is a thrilling book, full of unexpected associations. I highly recommend reading or listening to it.

another excellent book by Simon Winchester

Where does Atlantic rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The top audiobook I have listened to so far, and like the other Winchester books, I have learned a great deal and his books always seem to help my understanding the world.Bravo! and Aldas, bekesseg!