The legendary ships lost during World War II and the glory days of the luxury liner comprise an extraordinary underwater museum. Robert Ballard gives a guided tour of the vessels he has visited, retelling their stories and uncovering the secrets locked within their ghostly remains — from the faded elegance of the Lusitania to the still-defiant Bismarck. In 2004, Ballard returned to the site of the Titanic and analyzed the rate of her decay. A new epilogue documents his commitment to the preservation of this unique underwater legacy.

ROBERT BALLARD’s The Discovery of the Titanic has sold more than one million copies. His explorations of the battleship Bismarck and the Guadalcanal warships have also been the subjects of very successful books.

RICK ARCHBOLD has collaborated with Ballard on The Discovery of the Titanic, The Discovery of the Bismarck and The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal.

KEN MARSCHALL is a well-known maritime artist who has captured on canvas many great shipwrecks, including the Titanic.