In 1274 and 1281, having subjugated China, the Mongols launched massive seaborne attacks on the Japanese islands. Both attempts failed, in part because of sudden storms that wrecked the fleets. Although the storms were probably not the major factor in the defeats, it suited both sides to blame the natural elements – the Mongol generals because the weather was not their fault, and the Japanese because they could claim preferential heavenly intervention. (The Japanese kamikaze pilots of the Second World War believed that they were recreating the divine wind that saved their nation.)
    In Khubilai Khan’s Lost Fleet, Vancouver author and marine archaeologist James P. Delgado examines how the physical evidence of these ancient battles is being teased from beneath the waves off the Japanese coast. Much of the book is devoted to background history, tracing the rise of the Mongol Empire under Khubilai’s grandfather Genghis and the development of naval warfare in the Far East. The latter part of the book looks at the archaeology, though there is a rather abrupt jump near the end to a short history of Khubilai’s other failed naval adventures in Vietnam and Java.
    Little of the book actually covers recent archaeological work. This is understandable, as less than 1% of the battle site has been excavated, but what has been brought up does much to place these semi-mythical events in a historical context. The discovery of the bones of a Mongol soldier surrounded by weapons and pieces of armour adds a human element to the tale.
    This is an overview, rather than in-depth history. Delgado’s style is light and easy to read, and he presents an entertaining blend of history and personal anecdote. Khubilai Khan’s Lost Fleet provides an enjoyable introduction to this little-known piece of the past.