This fully illustrated book is the ultimate guide to the most catastrophic of all shipwrecks, taking in hundreds of years of maritime history from the wooden warships of the 11th century to the oil tanker disasters of today. Shipwrecks have a unique power over the imagination: from Robinson Crusoe and Twelfth Night to the movie Titanic, and with over 1,000 related items in the catalogue of the British Library, this is a subject of enduring interest. Covering all aspects of shipwrecks, from pirates to submarines and from treasure ships to survivors, this book provides a fascinating history of nautical peril.