Coastlines: The Epic History of Humanity's Greatest Frontier

'Capacious, entertaining and rich in wondrous detail'
Tom Holland on Metropolis

Coastlines is the untold story of how human history has been shaped by one of the most important sites of our evolution: the wild edgelands of the shore.

Across the glinting boundary of land and sea, human lives and natural forces have collided for millennia, dynamically changing geographies and histories in tandem. For most of our existence as a coastal species, we have adapted to the shore's energies, changing as it changed, respecting its risks as well as harvesting its rewards.

Starting with his discovery of an ancient jawbone on a shingle beach in Essex, historian Ben Wilson takes us on an epic journey across the world's coastlines ranging from the very early homo sapiens right up to our love of seaside holidays.

Along the way, we visit the pre-historic caves in South Africa where the early human encounter with the coast sparked rapid cognitive development and learn how imperial European states grappled for coastal enclaves in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Leaving no pebble unturned, Wilson weaves history and ecology into a stunning, beautifully written narrative that encompasses Chinese pirates, British fossil hunters and Australian surfers.

As climate change erodes our coastlines, we will have to relearn how to live alongside this restless frontier. That means looking again at this strange, magical threshold between worlds. And seeing the coastline not as peripheral to our human story - but at its vital heart.

'Coastlines draws readers into the rich stories of the world's shores. Ben Wilson's vivid storytelling brings landscapes and communities beautifully to life, weaving deep history with Indigenous knowledge and lived experience. Richly researched and profoundly immersive, this is a compelling exploration of our enduring relationship with the coast' Anjana Khatwa, author of The Whispers of Rock