From ancient times to the present day, marine disasters have been a fact of everyday life. Accidents at sea occur for many reasons: collisions, explosions, poor navigation, bad ship design, violent storms, and sometimes just plain bad luck. The shipwrecks depicted in this book reveal through both image and text the dire consequences of these disasters as well as the formidable power of nature over men. Journeying far and wide, this volume, illustrated with 124 full-color illustrations, covers the multitude of stories behind these catastrophes and examines naval design throughout the ages.