Simon Winchester » Books

The Alice Behind Wonderland

Ray — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 20:35:30 +0000

In The Alice Behind Wonderland, Simon Winchester uses the famous photograph of Alice as the launching pad for an appreciative energetic and penetrating look at the inspiration behind, and the making of, one of the greatest classics of children's literature. Indeed, Winchester shows that Dodgson's love of photography deeply influenced his view of the world, helping to transform this shy and half-deaf mathematician into one of the world's best-loved observers of childhood. Much like the fictional Alice's world, as the photograph is subject to closer examination, 'Alice Liddell as The Beggar Maid' becomes curiouser and curiouser, capturing a moment during a golden afternoon that would endure forever. 'Alice Liddell as The Beggar Maid' was, in short, the muse that would inspire the creation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms,and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories

Ray — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:01:39 +0000

Winchester, bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman, returns to the natural world with his epic new book, a "biography" of the Atlantic Ocean, from its origins 370 million years ago through the population of its shores by humanity and their interactions with it. He sees the Atlantic as the vital ingredient in the blooming of Western civilization. He scrutinizes the early explorations from the Vikings and Norsemen through Columbus, detailing the perils of the open sea. With his excellent research and engrossing anecdotes about the ocean as "a living thing," Winchester spotlights its inspiration on poets, painters, and writers in its majestic beauty. Although he does not neglect the chief tragedies of the Atlantic, like the slave trade and the maritime battles, Winchester occasionally flits beelike from scene to scene, and the facts become lost in a blur. Maybe this is the price for such a monumental undertaking. Nevertheless, Winchester's sea saga is necessary reading for those who want to understand the planet better, even as, he notes, our waters are rapidly changing from pollution, overfishing, and climate change.

The Man Who Loved China

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:47:45 +0000

In The Man Who Loved China, Simon Winchester brings to life the extraordinary story of Joseph Needham, the brilliant Cambridge scientist who unlocked the most closely held secrets of China, long the world’s most technologically advanced country. Both epic and intimate, The Man Who Loved China tells the sweeping story of China through Needham’s remarkable life. Here is an unforgettable tale of what makes men, nations, and, indeed, mankind itself great.

A Crack in the Edge of the World

admin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:50:09 +0000

The Crack in the Edge of the World vividly brings to life the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake that leveled a city symbolic of America’s relentless western expansion. This is also an enthralling and informative look at the tumultuous subterranean world that produces earthquakes, the planet’s most sudden and destructive force.

Krakatoa

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:49:20 +0000

Krakatoa, The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883, examines the enduring and world-changing effects of the catastrophic eruption off the coast of Java of the earth’s most dangerous volcano. Now available in a P.S. edition, providing readers with an additional 16-page section, offering a behind-the-pages look at both the author and the book.

The Meaning of Everything

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:46:50 +0000

The Meaning Of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, is a scintillating account of the creation of the greatest monument erected to a living language.

The Map That Changed The World

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:47:17 +0000

The Map That Changed The World is the fascinating story of William Smith, the orphaned son of an English country blacksmith, who became obsessed with creating the world’s first geological map and ultimately became the father of modern geology.

The Fracture Zone

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:48:14 +0000

The Fracture Zone goes behind the headlines to offer a true picture of the Balkans, a region that has always been on the brink. Winchester’s remarkable journey puts all the elements together — the faults, the fractures, and the chaos — to make sense out of a seemingly senseless place.

The Professor and the Madman

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:46:14 +0000

The Professor And The Madman, is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary — and literary history. Now available in a P.S. edition, providing readers with an additional 16-page section, offering a behind-the-pages look at both the author and the book.

Korea

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:49:44 +0000

With a new introduction by the author, Korea is a beautiful journey through a mysterious country and a memorable addition to the many adventures of Simon Winchester.