{"product_id":"pacific-silicon-chips-and-surfboards-coral-reefs-and-atom-bombs-brutal-dictators-fading-empires-and-the-coming-collision-of-the-worlds-superpowers-isbn-9780062421630","title":"Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne of Library Journal’s 10 Best Books of 2015\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing his acclaimed Atlantic and The Men Who United the States, New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester offers an enthralling biography of the Pacific Ocean and its role in the modern world, exploring our relationship with this imposing force of nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the Mediterranean shaped the classical world, and the Atlantic connected Europe to the New World, the Pacific Ocean defines our tomorrow. With China on the rise, so, too, are the American cities of the West coast, including Seattle, San Francisco, and the long cluster of towns down the Silicon Valley.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eToday, the Pacific is ascendant. Its geological history has long transformed us—tremendous earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis—but its human history, from a Western perspective, is quite young, beginning with Magellan’s sixteenth-century circumnavigation. It is a natural wonder whose most fascinating history is currently being made.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn telling the story of the Pacific, Simon Winchester takes us from the Bering Strait to Cape Horn, the Yangtze River to the Panama Canal, and to the many small islands and archipelagos that lie in between. He observes the fall of a dictator in Manila, visits aboriginals in northern Queensland, and is jailed in Tierra del Fuego, the land at the end of the world. His journey encompasses a trip down the Alaska Highway, a stop at the isolated Pitcairn Islands, a trek across South Korea and a glimpse of its mysterious northern neighbor.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWinchester’s personal experience is vast and his storytelling second to none. And his historical understanding of the region is formidable, making Pacific a paean to this magnificent sea of beauty, myth, and imagination that is transforming our lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis landmark work of maritime history explores ten moments that define our modern world:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCold War Flashpoints:\u003c\/b\u003e From the nuclear testing on Bikini Atoll to the capture of the USS Pueblo, uncover the secret history of the atomic ocean and its high-stakes confrontations.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Rise of Asia:\u003c\/b\u003e Witness the postwar Japanese electronics revolution sparked by a tiny transistor radio and explore the deep roots of China’s modern naval ambitions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eGeology, Climate, and Nature:\u003c\/b\u003e Journey from deep-sea hydrothermal vents to the eye of a supercyclone to understand the tectonic and climatic forces that shape both the planet and our future.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAn Empire's Retreat:\u003c\/b\u003e Follow the decline of colonial power across the Pacific, marked by the fiery end of a legendary ocean liner in Hong Kong harbor.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Cultural Crossroads:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover the Polynesian navigational genius that conquered the ocean and the Californian counter-culture born from the simple pleasure of riding a wave.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne of \u003cem\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e’s 10 Best Books of 2015\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing his acclaimed \u003cem\u003eAtlantic\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Men Who United the States,\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author Simon Winchester offers an enthralling biography of the Pacific Ocean and its role in the modern world, exploring our relationship with this imposing force of nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the Mediterranean shaped the classical world, and the Atlantic connected Europe to the New World, the Pacific Ocean defines our tomorrow. With China on the rise, so, too, are the American cities of the West coast, including Seattle, San Francisco, and the long cluster of towns down the Silicon Valley.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eToday, the Pacific is ascendant. Its geological history has long transformed us—tremendous earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis—but its human history, from a Western perspective, is quite young, beginning with Magellan’s sixteenth-century circumnavigation. It is a natural wonder whose most fascinating history is currently being made.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn telling the story of the Pacific, Simon Winchester takes us from the Bering Strait to Cape Horn, the Yangtze River to the Panama Canal, and to the many small islands and archipelagos that lie in between. He observes the fall of a dictator in Manila, visits aboriginals in northern Queensland, and is jailed in Tierra del Fuego, the land at the end of the world. His journey encompasses a trip down the Alaska Highway, a stop at the isolated Pitcairn Islands, a trek across South Korea and a glimpse of its mysterious northern neighbor.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWinchester’s personal experience is vast and his storytelling second to none. And his historical understanding of the region is formidable, making \u003cem\u003ePacific\u003c\/em\u003e a paean to this magnificent sea of beauty, myth, and imagination that is transforming our lives.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003eONE OF KIRKUS REVIEWS’ “BEST BOOKS OF 2015”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Winchester’s vigorous prose and tireless dragnetting of interesting lore make this an entertaining read.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Winchester does a virtuoso job. ... A giant Aladdin’s rug, which he then gamely invites his readers to climb aboard.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Winchester is] a terrific raconteur with a knack for making connections that might have eluded you between events behind the headlines. ... Where \u003ci\u003ePacific\u003c\/i\u003e opts to go, it goes with savvy and verve.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSeattle Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Winchester is a terrific helmsman, both confident and smooth.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTelegraph (UK)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Provocative... and lively.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Revealing... delightful... fascinating... highly recommended.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJanet Napolitano, San Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A series of high-resolution literary snapshots. ... As we’ve come to expect from Winchester, there are plenty of delights. ... Winchester’s passionate research... undergirds this superb analysis of a world wonder.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Fascinating, provocative, and at times, mildly terrifying. ... The hallmarks of Winchester’s best work -- a fertile, curious mind, impeccable research and command of complex material -- are on full display here.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMiami Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Winchester has a smooth and easy prose style, one that is trustable and clear. ... He excels at guiding the reader with a contagious sense of wonder.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Winchester writes books like someone telling a good yarn around the fireplace... by interweaving history, fascinating trivia, and acute observation.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Winchester has prodigious gifts as a popular historian and an explainer of faraway events.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eONE OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL’S “BEST BIOGRAPHIES OF 2015”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Popular history at its finest.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Large Print","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888815730917,"sku":"NP9780062421630","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062421630.jpg?v=1730229883","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/pacific-silicon-chips-and-surfboards-coral-reefs-and-atom-bombs-brutal-dictators-fading-empires-and-the-coming-collision-of-the-worlds-superpowers-isbn-9780062421630","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}