Boek

Vasa

Auteur	Erling Matz
Eerste Uitgave	2011
Uitgave	2011
Uitgeverij	Vasa Museum
Vorm	non-fictie
Taal	Engels
Bladzijden	50 bladzijden
Gelezen	2011-08-28
Score	8/10

Inhoud

"Between four and five o'clock, the great new warship Vasa keeled over and sank." A few short lines about a major disaster were written in this book on August 10, 1628. For a magnificent ship that sank on her very first voyage, this could have been the end. Instead, it was the beginning of an adventure that is still in progress. The Vasa was found almost intact, standing on the seabed, after three centuries. The ship was salvaged and is now one of the foremost tourist attractions in the world.

Bespreking

World's best museum (so far...)

Although the writer of this book claims that the Vasa ship is one of the most famous historical heritages of the world, I must admit that that fact was not known to me when I visited Stockholm for the first time. Nevertheless it should be indeed. The ship itself was salvaged from the sea in 1961 and has since then been visited by millions of people. Entering the museum is an experience on itself, because the size of this vessel is quite impressive. But even so, the most overwhelming aspect of this piece of history is the story behind the ship and its maiden voyage.

That is exactly what this little booklet uncovers. Although the story was already known to me after the visit to the museum, it was still nice to read about it again on the plane back home. Yes, it is not such a very difficult read and is subdivided in bite-size chapters. Ideal for on the plane. Quite a lot of illustrations make it even more of historical fast food. Not more, not less.

One advice, if you ever visit Stockholm you must visit the Vasa museum. Even if youâ€™re there only for one day, it is worth a few hours of your time. Believe me.