Travelling the circumference of the truly gigantic Pacific, Simon Winchester tells the story of the world’s largest body of water, and – in matters economic, political and military – the ocean of the future.

‘Gripping … This might be his best [book] yet… Like all good writers, Winchester knows that specificity is all … stirring stuff. The variety of material is astonishing … As all good books must, this one shifts from the long-lens to the close-up shot, and from the tragic to the absurd' Literary Review ‘[Simon Winchester] is a terrific helmsman, both confident and smooth’ 4*, Daily Telegraph Praise for Simon Winchester: ‘Winchester pioneered the genre of popular narrative history … [he] understands that specificity is what counts, as it always does in writing’ Sunday Telegraph ‘Simon Winchester is a literary impresario … This is a clever, engaging and original look at what would seem well-trodden historical paths; but Winchester, delightfully, breaks a fresh trail’ Economist 'Winchester unfolds this epic narrative with admirable simplicity: his prose style is conversational, and crackles with strange images. He marries even-handed scholarship with a gift for storytelling, neither dumbing down nor assuming any specific knowledge in his readership. This is from start to finish an enthralling book, and one that does justice to the magnitude of its subject' Edmund Gordon, Sunday Times 'Illuminating…a] wonderful, encyclopaedic book, pinpointing key moments in the narrative of an entire ocean and our relationship to it' Philip Hoare, Sunday Telegraph

- Simon’s ‘Krakatoa’ sold 55k, while ‘Atlantic’ sold 12k at home, and in ANZ was a non-fiction bestseller (combined TPB/PB sales of 30k). - Simon has a deep affinity with the Pacific that comes from a lifetime of travelling around and across the ocean, and he will travel extensively to research this book. As with ‘Atlantic’, the book will be narrative-led with a selection of b/w images printed on the text paper, and with glorious cover and endpapers to make a beautiful gift. - Simon was also a big hit on the festival circuit in ANZ. - A truly international story, going along the entire Pacific coast of Australia; thence by way of Papua to Indonesia, up to Singapore and along the Malay peninsula, then into south-east Asia and China; from Shanghai to Seoul, across Korea and Japan, to Pacific Russia, and to Alaska.