Wrecked

Reviews / Votes

"Eschewing sensational tales of wrecked ships and doomed sailors, Thrush uses this critical history of shipwrecks to explore the complex relations between Indigenous peoples and newcomers, including castaways, rescuers, salvors, treasure hunters, and tourists. . . . This blend of maritime, cultural, and environmental history will resonate with historians and other specialists." * Library Journal * "If the test of a great book is whether it reframes the way we think about its subject, then Thrush has succeeded in delivering a new history of the Pacific Coast that connects maritime disaster to Indigenous and colonial history in original and provocative ways. . . . A superb book by a historian and writer at the height of his powers." * BC Studies: The British Columbian Quarterly * "This is a profound and challenging text, full of insights and intellectual rigor. . . . What drives the book and makes it such a satisfying read is the wonderful human stories it has to tell." * Rabble.ca * "Wrecked is a compelling read and is sure to be of interest to anyone who has been intrigued by tales of shipwrecks along the Northwest Coast." * British Columbia History * "A history of shipwrecks naturally lends itself to storytelling, and Thrush utilizes the method of narration to great effect with evocative language and sitting-by-the-campfire pacing, qualities which should earn the book a wide audience. . . . Still, Wrecked is a rigorous work of scholarship representing years of deep research and critical analysis." * Pacific Historical Review * "Layered in tragedy, Thrush weaves shipwreck tales from songs, poems, newspapers, and oral histories to revisit some of the maritime cliches, like treasure maps and ghost ships, that subtly prop up settler colonial projects. In this way, Thrush demonstrates vividly that-like wreckage washed ashore and settled in sand only to be washed back out to sea again-colonization entangles, corrupts, and often kills, but it will not last forever." * Western Historical Quarterly * "Wrecked is Thrush's third book and bears the mark of an author who relishes in telling the tale. The prose is highly readable, often playful, and enriched with measured biographical reflection. . . . The result is a book that will reward academic and general readers interested in colonialism, coastal history, or public memory by inviting us to consider the ways that we continue to navigate the wreckage of the past." * Pacific Northwest Quarterly * "Coll Thrush has produced another thought-provoking and beautifully written book. Putting his expertise in Northwest coast Indigenous and settler history on full display, Thrush examines numerous shipwrecks that punctuated the coastlines of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia from the 1600s to recent times. . . . Anyone studying Northwest and Indigenous history should curl up with this captivating book." * Oregon Historical Quarterly *