I had the ambition to not only go as far as anyone had been before, but as far as it was possible for man to go.

—Lieutenant James Cook, 1771

The mighty Tasman Sea casts a spell on all who venture into it. Here, for the first time, is a book that tells its remarkable life story, from its early origins to the multi-layered human experience of it . . . whenever people interact with a sea of the Tasman's nature, there is bound to be drama.

The Tasman describes life of all kinds, from first exploration, shipping disasters, heroic crossings and strange marine creatures, to the many colourful coastal communities in New Zealand and Australia.  

With an unerring eye for detail, noted travel and natural history writer Neville Peat has crafted a compelling, visually stunning account of all things Tasman.