The Drowned Places

'Compelling... his curiosity brings the ancient myths and stark realities of the ocean vividly to life' SOPHIE ELMHIRST

From ancient myths to sunken cities and natural wonders, join Damian Le Bas as he dives in search of the world's greatest mysteries.

As a young boy, Damian was captivated by the story of the lost city of Atlantis. As an adult, he dreams of diving to discover its ruins. After the death of his father, torn between his lifelong desire and the taboo his Romany culture places on the ocean, he comes by chance across a dive shop. He can't help but go in.

As he masters the skills of this exhilarating sport, Damian dives with seals in the Farne Islands, explores submerged Roman ruins in Naples and maps the sunken city of Port Royal in Jamaica. Under the waves, he enters a breathtaking world and is entranced by sunken wonders both man-made and natural.

Plato's writings on Atlantis were a parable about the hubris of humankind; in witnessing our effects on oceans and ocean communities, Damian finds echoes of this in the modern world.

'One of the best books on diving that I have ever read' LITERARY REVIEW
'A fine, vivid writer' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
'Literary and learned. It goes deep' AMY LIPTROT
'The most compelling and evocative of underwater odysseys' KATE HUMBLE
'Beautifully written and endlessly fascinating' DAVID GIBBINS