Atlantic Ocean Secrets explores the pivotal role of the Atlantic Ocean in shaping global history, from the Age of Discovery to modern geopolitics. The book unveils the ocean's depths, revealing its impact on globalization, cultural exchange, and the rise of maritime empires. Readers will discover how the Atlantic served as both a bridge and a barrier, facilitating transatlantic trade and exploration while also witnessing tragic shipwrecks and the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade.
The book takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on historical documents like ship logs and trade records to illustrate the ocean's influence on sailing technologies, naval strategies, and international laws. It uniquely focuses on diverse perspectives, including those of explorers, traders, enslaved people, and scientists, offering a nuanced understanding of the Atlantic's impact on human societies.
Progressing chronologically, the book begins with the ocean's geological formation and early exploration, then moves through key historical periods, culminating in an assessment of its modern role in commerce, environmental challenges, and geopolitical strategies.