Ocean

A History of the Atlantic Before Columbus

John Haywood

A magisterial cultural history of the Atlantic Ocean before Columbus, ranging from the early shaping of the continents and the emergence of homo sapiens to the story of shipbuilding, navigation, maritime exploration, slavery, and nascent European imperialism.

A dazzling and ambitious history of the pre-Columbian Atlantic seas, Ocean is a story that begins with the formation of the mid-Atlantic ridge some 200 million years ago and ends with the Castilian conquest of the Canary Islands in the fifteenth century, providing a template for the methods used by the Spanish in their colonization of the New World.

John Haywood eloquently argues that the perception of Atlantic history beginning with the first voyage of the celebrated Genoese navigator Christopher Columbus is a mistaken one, and that the seafaring and shipbuilding skills that enabled European global exploration and expansion did not arrive fully formed in the fifteenth century, but instead were learned over centuries and millennia in the Atlantic and its peripheral seas. The pre-Columbian history of the Atlantic is the story of how Europeans learned to master the oceans. This story is, therefore, key to understanding why it was Europeans, and not any of the world's other seafaring peoples, who “discovered” the world.

Informed by the author's extensive travels around the Atlantic Ocean, crossing Newfoundland's Grand Banks, the Sea of Darkness, and the weed-covered Sargasso Sea, and populated by a heterogeneous and multiethnic cast of seafarers, fishermen, monks, merchants, and dreamers, Ocean is an in-depth history of a neglected subject, fusing geology, geography, mythology, developing maritime technologies, and the early history of exploration to narrate an enthralling story—one which lies at the very heart of Europe's modern history and its relationship with the rest of the world.

John Haywood is a British historian, author, and graduate in medieval history from the universities of Lancaster, Cambridge, and Copenhagen. He has written over twenty books on a wide range of historical topics, but his main interests are the Vikings, maritime history, and historical maps. John's books include The Penguin Atlas of Vikings, The New Atlas of World History, and Northmen. He now divides his time between writing and working for Road Scholar, an American travel company where he leads and lectures to tour groups in Iceland, Scandinavia, and the Baltic. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society of Great Britain. When not traveling, John resides in England.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"Haywood has penned a sweeping, eye-opening maritime history of the North Atlantic Ocean. Crammed with fascinating stories and details, this narrative spans thousands of years. An expertly written and accessible survey of the pre-Columbian Atlantic world." Library Journal, starred review

"Haywood has created a fascinating narrative, replete with half-forgotten explorers, in which Columbus is not the protagonist but just a footnote." Literary Review

"At almost 500 pages, it's a big book, but those pages feel necessary to contain its scope and ambition, and it's very readable. I learned something on every page. A book full of information but also of humility, humanity and wonder." Geographical Magazine

“The sections that deal with the Vikings, getting on for half the overall text, are particularly gripping. The account of the 400-year residence of Norse settlers in Greenland is rich in detail about the challenging life it was possible to lead on the edge of the known world. [Haywood] has succeeded triumphantly in providing a highly readable account of an important and neglected area of history.” The Spectator

"Haywood’s Ocean sets itself a daunting task—to convey the history, geology, and legends surrounding the Atlantic and eventual European progress across it. And the hefty work delves in with relish on topics ranging from which early humans ate the first oysters to tales of the souls inhabiting the Fortunate Isles to the west. The author’s academic background in medieval history and early European maritime ventures especially shines in the sections outlining the treks across the North Atlantic by early Scandinavians. A fascinating dive into a true ocean of history." Booklist

Praise for John Haywood:

"Haywood's lucid explanations of the cultures of the Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians are vital to understanding the motivations for their movements.” Kirkus Reviews

"[A] valuable picture of human development and will be useful to academic and public libraries." Library Journal

"The graphical format of this history of mankind allows one to view happenings in one part of the world and then see other events at the same time in different areas of the world. Unique and refreshing. Illustrations and maps peppered throughout make accessing the information enticing and easy." The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

"Finely researched and artfully produced. Haywood seamlessly combines history and geography to show not only population expansion but also cross-cultural contact and the growth of economic and social complexity. Libraries, schools, and everyone interested in the past will want this book for their shelves." Foreword Reviews

"This is a creative atlas, supported by Haygood's deep insight over a six-million-year cast of time that brings into focus the world's cultures and religious faiths, inventions and discoveries. Of especial interest are the colour-coded maps, which are particularly useful in enhancing the study of wars and empires." The Oxford Times