David Levesque is a graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy, where he majored in maritime history. He earned a Master of Arts in History from Vermont College, where his thesis was mentored by Dr. Selwyn H.H. Carrington (of Howard University and University of the West Indies). Studying under the further tutelage of such distinguished scholars as Dr. Daniel Boorstin, Dr. Sergei Khrushchev, astronaut/aquanaut Scott Carpenter, Dr. Anthony Aveni of Colgate College, and Captain Loren McIntyre of the National Geographic Society and presenting in seminars with them, he has discovered a deep passion for the human past. He has written a number of articles on a wide range of historical topics for both government and commercial publications, and currently is working on a book on the role of the Caribbean in world history. Since resigning his Coast Guard commission in 1987 and joining the cruise travel industry, David has expanded his areas of expertise to include voyages of exploration, navigation arts, ancient civilizations, and even mythic ships and naval heroes around the world. Through his extensive work on cruise ships, he has visited over 100 countries and all seven continents; his studies include not only history but also anthropology, archaeology, geography, astronomy, navigation, and human diversity. His unique combination of thorough knowledge of and affection for his subjects with a wry, light-hearted touch always makes for entertaining and informative lectures.A SAMPLING OF LECTURE TITLES
The Essential Ingredient: The West Indies and American Independence
The Notorious Trade: African Slavery and the Americas
New England, New France, New Worlds
For God and France: The Life of Samuel Champlain
Across the Top of the World: The Search for the Northwest Passage
The Vikings: History and Culture
Northern Voyages in the Wake of Columbus
Canoes to Cruisers: The Evolution of Ships
The Art and Science of Navigation
Sex and Breadfruit: The REAL Mutiny on the Bounty
Mana: The Culture of Ancient Tahiti
Pacific Wayfinding: Traditional Navigation of Polynesia and Micronesia
European Voyages into the Pacific
Vitus Bering and Russian America: Europe Discovers Alaska
The Voyages of Captain Cook
Cortes and the Conquest of Mexico
The Making of the Panama Canal
To the Further Coast: Charting Pacific America
Dreams Westward: The Lewis & Clark Expedition and Manifest Destiny
The Wars of South American Independence
Magelland Conquers the Globe
Atlantis in Fable and Fact
A Brief History of the Mediterranean
A Brief History of the Caribbean
Marco Polo and the Silk Road
The Golden Age of Pirates
The Voyageurs: Explorations in the Interior of North America
Sindbad the Sailor and Arab Seafaring in the Far East
A Dream of Centuries: The Suez Canal
