Writing

Peter Firstbrook is the author of eight books, including The Voyage of the Matthew about John Cabot’s voyage to North America in 1497, Lost on Everest about finding George Mallory’s body on Everest (winner of the prestigious Trento Mountain Book Festival), The Obamas: The Untold Story of an African Family, A Man Most Driven—a biography of John Smith of Jamestown, Coastwise—Understanding Britain’s Shoreline, and most recently Daredevils of the Atlantic Ocean about extraordinary crossings of the Atlantic.

Reviewers comment on his strong narrative, accessible explanation of historic events, meticulous research, and an eye for human drama. Comments also identify a willingness to explore the psychology and motivations of historical characters, rather than simply recounting events.

The author is an experienced speaker, having hosted book tours in both the UK and the USA. The author’s books have also been very favourably reviewed on both sides of the Atlantic:

Daredevils of the North Atlantic Ocean: (2023)

This book chronicles the exploits of this extraordinary breed of adventurers and fortune-seekers who sometimes succeeded—and sometimes failed—to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

"Fascinating ... the narrative focuses on the motivations, courage, and sheer tenacity of the mariners who risked their lives on these voyages ... "                     DCA Magazine

"... is a thrilling look into the most peculiar and exciting ways [to cross the Atlantic] ... heaps of peril, the odd laugh and twists and turns throughout." Goodreads 

Coastwise: Understanding Britain's Shoreline: (2021)

"This subtly passionate book is the perfect companion to anyone with an interest in the coast … these pages are a practical love letter to Britain’s waterfront and no seaside holiday home should be without them."                  Tom Heap, Countryfile presenter

"A particularly well-structure book ... every statement is immediatley illustrated with a photograph ensuring that even the geographically-challenged can begin to understand the connections."                                          Yachting Monthly

"Accessibly, very readable and endlessly fascinating."                                                      Kitiara Pascoe, Independent reviewer

"... a perfect companion to anyone living, working, or visiting the coast."               RNLI Lifeboat

"... wonderful photographs, covering the British coast in just the right detail."      Little Ship Club

A Man Most Driven: (2014) John Smith, founder of Jamestown 1607.

"Exceptionally well-crafted and engaging."                                                                         The Times Literary Supplement

"A riveting account of the astonishing adventures of one of the true heroes of English and American history. This is a real page-turner and makes history truly come alive."                                                                                                                             Robert Hutchinson, author of 'Elizabeth's Spymaster' and 'The Spanish Armada'.

"A nuanced account of the English captain saved by Pocahontas reveals an astonishingly complicated personality ... Exciting historical tales with romantic overtones."                                                                                                                     Kirkus Reviews                                                                                          

"Firstbrook approaches the subject with healthy skepticism, examining just where Smith’s claims might be exaggerated and where history backs them up. In the process, Firstbrook also takes a closer look at the legend of Pocahontas, at least partially debunking the motives behind her timely intervention in Smith’s death sentence…"                                                                       Publisher's Weekly

The Obamas—the Untold Story of an African Family: (2010) The Obamas traced back over 1,000 years.

"Fascinating ... adds many interesting details to what we know of the President's heritage."                                                                                                                  David Remnick, TheNewYorker.com

"Lively, sweeping, grand, horrifying, and occasionally funny; a historical biography of a continent, a way of life, a people and, somewhere along the way, the Leader of the Free World...Though some tales will make you gulp, he also entertains readers with cultural explanations, imaginative scenarios, hypothetical situations, and small anecdotes. I enjoyed that, partly for the way Firstbrook presents the information and partly for its relevance in today’s world, as compared to yesterday's way of life ... For the curious, or anyone who just loves a great story."                                                                         TheTimesWeekly.com

"Not only does [Firstbrook's] book dig where other researchers have failed to look, but it also provides a compelling narrative about a place, a tribe, and the difficulties of uniting humanity across boundaries ... A contemporary family detective story, with Firstbrook as the guide and eventually the answer man to questions directly related to the Obama family. In fact, Firstbrook may now know more about Obama's roots than does the president himself."                      Steve Weinberg, Christian Science Monitor

"Like few others in modern history, President Barack Hussein Obama has been dissected within every fiber of his DNA. “The Obamas” stands apart by literally finding where the President comes from."                                            Essence

"Firstbrook is a first-rate storyteller."                                                                       USA Today

"Firstbrook is nothing if not intrepid ... [this] is the telling of the story of a large and extended African family that has played a significant and unforgettable role in history across two continents."      
Washington Post

"Sharply etched portraits of the president's grandfather Hussein Onyango and his father, Barack Sr.--as well as many living aunts, uncles, and cousins--help bring the periods of British colonialism and Kenyan independence into focus...A sweeping, six-century saga of tribal Africa."                                           Douglas Gorney, theatlantic.com

"Fascinating and carefully researched."                                           --     Hemispheres magazine

 "The author was not part of the Washington DC elite on that momentous day [of the election]. No, he was in a tiny village in Kenya, in the midst of all that dust, heat and poverty. Hundreds of fingers were crossed as apparently, two television sets had been promised so that the villagers could celebrate the inauguration of their son. Success. “The first (tv set) ... arrived balanced precariously on a wheelbarrow”. And that bitter-sweet sentence alone sums up succinctly the vast differences and the road travelled by Barack Obama. Stirring stuff."                                                                                                                      The Book Bag

Surviving the Iron Age: (2001)

We follow the experiences of seventeen intrepid volunteers living as in the Iron Age, sleeping in roundhouses in the depths of Wales. Filmed over six gruelling weeks, our volunteers have to cook, hunt and maintain their settlement just as the Celts did more than 2,000 years ago.

"Comfortable it was not. Another volunteer, Brenda Phillips, recalls: "It was hard to stay clean and eventually you stopped bothering. You gave up washing and just went to bed wet. The weather was horrendous. It was like hell on Earth.""                                                                                                                       The Megalithic Portal 

Lost on Everest: (1999)  Finding George Mallory's body on Everest. 

" … a thrilling detective story … a moving testament to the mountain and its community of climbers."                                                                                           The Independent on Sunday

 " … a marvellous blend of adventure, history, geopolitics and biography … [Firstbrook] is also a natural storyteller … a very moving tale of aspiration, courage, determination and desire to leave one's mark."                                      Publisher's Weekly

The Voyage of the Matthew: (1997) John Cabot’s historic voyage to North America

“ … Firstbrook's highly readable and wonderfully illustrated and historically detailed book … an enjoyable read."                                                                         David Sorensen, The Express

“ … much more than a coffee table book. Drawing on recent scholarship and newly discovered documents, Firstbrook details with infectious interest the social and political context within which the Matthew, arguably the most important ship in English history, was created."

ON magazine

Paleoceanic Reconstructions, 160–0 Ma. (1979) Academic research into paleo-environments in the Atlantic Ocean since the Cretaceous Period. Published by the National Science Foundation.  

Peter Firstbrook has also written for the Sunday Times Magazine, national newspapers, Yachting World, Yachting Monthly, Practical Boat Owner, and Sailing Today.