Maps of Lesser and Grand Cayman Islands on lining papers of hardcover printing.

The greatest shipwreck disaster in the history of the Cayman Islands The story has been passed through generations for more than two centuries. Details vary depending on who is doing the telling, but all refer to this momentous maritime event as the Wreck of the Ten Sail. Sometimes misunderstood as the loss of a single ship, it was in fact the wreck of ten vessels at once, comprising one of the most dramatic maritime disasters in all of Caribbean naval history. Surviving historical documents and the remains of the wrecked ships in the sea confirm that the narrative is more than folklore. It is a legend based on a historical event in which HMS Convert, formerly L’Inconstante, a recent prize from the French, and 9 of her 58-ship merchant convoy sailing from Jamaica to Britain, wrecked on the jagged eastern reefs of Grand Cayman in 1794. The incident has historical significance far beyond the boundaries of the Cayman Islands. It is tied to British and French history during the French Revolution, when these and other European nations were competing for military and commercial dominance around the globe. The Wreck of the Ten Sail attests to the worldwide distribution of European war and trade at the close of the eighteenth century. In Cayman’s 1794 Wreck of the Ten Sail: Peace, War, and Peril in the Caribbean, Margaret E. Leshikar-Denton focuses on the ships, the people, and the wreck itself to define their place in Caymanian, Caribbean, and European history. This well-researched volume weaves together rich oral folklore accounts, invaluable supporting documents found in archives in the United Kingdom, Jamaica, and France, and tangible evidence of the disaster from archaeological sites on the reefs of the East End.

While there are several books in the field of preservation and heritage protection for terrestrial archaeology, there are very few resources for archaeologists working with maritime and submerged cultural heritage. This book brings together state-of-the-art ideas, research and scholarship associated with maritime public education and interpretation. It will add to a limited body of knowledge in a field that is steadily growing.

This title is a comprehensive survey of maritime archaeology as seen through the eyes of nearly fifty scholars at a time when maritime archaeology has established itself as a mature branch of archaeology.

Founded Upon the Seas: A History of the Cayman Islands and Their People is the first comprehensive history of the Cayman Islands. Researched and written by the noted Caribbean Historian, Dr Michael Craton and the Cayman Islands New History Committee, it explores in detail the social, economic, and political history of all three islands. Caymanians were once renowned as shipbuilders, turtlers, and sailors, and their life, whether on sea or land, was marked by resourcefulness and strong communal ties born of hardship and isolation. Rapid changes since the 1960s have transformed the islands into a major tourist destination and an international banking centre. Founded Upon the Seas traces how this distinct community evolved from the days of the first settlers to the era of cruise ships, land development, and international finance. Based on a wealth of information drawn from archives and libraries in the Caribbean, Europe and North America, the text is illustrated with rare maps, facsimile documents and numerous photographs.

The latest edition of Cayman Islands provides in-depth coverage of each of the country's three distinctive islands. Renowned for some of the world's best diving and snorkelling, the islands also offer numerous other activities, all of which are detailed in this thorough guide. Drag yourself away from those white-sand beaches and you can head off in search of iguanas, mysterious caves or even ghosts. The guide is complete with historical background information and natural history for those who want to dig deeper and unlock the true spirit of Cayman.