Many congratulations to St Anne’s Fellow, Professor Simon Park, whose new book, Wreckers: Disaster in the Age of Discovery, will be published on April 17th by Penguin.
In advance of the publication, Professor Park will be speaking at the Oxford Literary Festival. You can book tickets now to hear him speak about his research on Monday 31 March at 12pm. More information and booking options can be found here.
From the publisher:
“Wreckers sinks the old narratives of imperialism, revealing the violent, chaotic and improvised reality of empire-building from the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries.
While figures such as Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan are celebrated for their maritime achievements – reaching the Americas, India, and circumnavigating the globe – focusing solely on these voyages distorts our perspective on the past. Many explorers ended up as castaways, clinging to the splintered timbers of their wrecked ships, while those who survived often faced resistance and ridicule from indigenous communities across the globe.
Drawing on maritime stories from various languages and continents – from Brazil and Southeast Africa to India and the Philippines – Wreckers shares dramatic tales of the sea and the events on land that followed. This offers an alternative timeline for the century after Columbus’ 1492 voyage and sheds light on the fractures and fault lines that accompanied the increasing geographical range of European ships.”
We wish Simon every success with the book!