The Lost Ships of Robert Ballard: An Unforgettable Underwater Tour by the World's Leading Deep-Sea Explorer [Hardcover]

Robert D. Ballard (Author), Rick Archbold (Author), Ken Marschall (Painter)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 19, 2005

Join world-renowned undersea explorer Dr. Robert D. Ballard for an extraordinary adventure to the final resting places of legendary ocean liners and ghostly warships. In 1985 Ballard discovered the most famous ship of all, the Titanic, and since then he's explored her sister ship Britannic, the Lusitania, the Andrea Doria, and Hitler's most famous battleship, the Bismarck. In this comprehensive volume, Ballard gives a guided tour of these ships and others, retelling their harrowing stories, and revealing the sunken secrets locked inside their ghostly wrecks. High-tech underwater photography, archival photos, illustrations and memorabilia recall the splendor of these magnificent vessels, thought at one time to be 'unsinkable.' There is also an exploration of the Pacific's greatest battlefield—Iron Bottom Sound—and the lost ships of Guadalcanal.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert D. Ballard is an explorer and leading marine geologist who helps develop new underwater exploration technology. He discovered the sunken Titanic and Bismarck ships. He is the author of many books about his discoveries, including Finding the Titanic and Graveyards of the Pacific. He lives in Mystic, Connecticut. Rick Archbold is the coauthor of The Discovery of the Bismarck and The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal. He lives in Toronto, Ontario. They are the coauthors of The Discovery of the Titanic. Ken Marschall is a maritime artist. He lives in Redondo Beach, California.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Thunder Bay Press; First edition (September 19, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592234240
• ISBN-13: 978-1592234240
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 11.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #575,377 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book...but seen it before..., October 21, 2005

By 

K. King (BROOKFIELD, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lost Ships of Robert Ballard: An Unforgettable Underwater Tour by the World's Leading Deep-Sea Explorer (Hardcover)

I waited very anxiously for several months for this book to be published. I own several of Dr. Ballard's books and find them all fantastic. So when I opened this one, I was somewhat disappointed to find that this book is basically a re-packaging of one of his earlier, now out-of-print books, LOST LINERS, with the Bismarck and Guadalcanal added. Don't get me wrong...this is an absolutely beautiful book and I *highly* recommend it (but again, be advised this is a LOST LINERS rehash). Ken Marschall's paintings are exquisite and haunting. And his rendition of the Lusitania sinking is downright frightening. One has to look closely to see that these are not actual photographs. The most interesting painings show the underwater view of what the ships look like today. Dr. Ballard is never boring and is very thourough. His presentation includes the background research of the companies as well as the ships themselves. With this added information, you come to realize that these ships were more than just boats that sank...you see that they were once alive. I will still give this five stars. LOST LINERS is out of print and not many people may have seen it. Regardless, this is a beautiful book with detailed historical narratives, amazing paintings, neat underwater photographs and, most importantly, the storied achievements of Dr. Robert Ballard.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful ships from a time past., October 17, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lost Ships of Robert Ballard: An Unforgettable Underwater Tour by the World's Leading Deep-Sea Explorer (Hardcover)

It has been twenty years since Dr. Ballard discovered the Titanic. Since then he has gone on to explore the hulks of several famous sunken ships. The photographs he has brought back to the surface have been nothing less than astounding. But the limitations of underwater photography prevent broad panoramic views of the ships. In this book there is a combination of photographs (both pre and post sinking) and of brilliant paintings done from these photographs.

Here are descriptions of these ships as they were built, as they sailed. Here also is the story of their sinking. Finally here is the story of how they look today, ghostly remains of what they once were. The photographs record two trips down to the Titanic, and visits to the Britannic, Lusitania, Empress of Ireland, Andrea Doria, Bismark and to the warships sunk in Iron Bottom Sound off of Guadalcanal.

This is a beautiful book of what was.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!, March 14, 2006

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lost Ships of Robert Ballard: An Unforgettable Underwater Tour by the World's Leading Deep-Sea Explorer (Hardcover)

This large and attractive book combines the work of oceanographer Robert Ballard, author Rick Archibold, and maritime artist Ken Marshall. The course of the book takes you through the history of the trans-Atlantic cruise liner, from its inception in the early nineteenth century, through to today. Along the way, the authors focus on many key happenings, particularly the sinking of certain ships. As an added bonus, information is presented on the Bismarck and the ships of Iron Bottom Sound, in the Solomon Islands. Along the way, the reader is treated to many wonderful illustrations and colorful pictures.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating book. I enjoyed the stories of ships I had never heard of, such as the Arctic and Atlantic, and I really loved the many pictures. This is a great book, one that is bound to fascinate anyone interested in ship wrecks. I loved it!