Spanning the period from the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra at Actium to the 1946 nuclear detonation at Bikini Atoll, this work presents a you are there tour of the world's sunken battlefields, placing each shipwreck in a broad, historical narrative of maritime warfare. The author draws on his experiences as a naval historian, maritime museum director, and underwater archaeologist to present an overview of milestones in marine warfare that changed the course of world history. The text integrates the latest archaeological and anthropological research with first-hand accounts of the combatants to provide insight into the world's great battles, as well as the personalities, ships, and weapons involved. Historical images of features ships, contemporary documents, painting from maritime museums, and photographs of wrecks and relics further enhance this tale of 4000 years of war and combat at sea.