Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. The sea; 2. The ships; 3. Navigation: the routes and their implications; 4. The ninth and tenth centuries: Islam, Byzantium, and the West; 5. The twelfth and thirteenth centuries: the Crusader states; 6. Maritime traffic: the guerre de cours; 7. The Turks; 8. Epilogue: the Barbary corsairs; 9. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

Promotional Information

A study of the technological limitations of maritime traffic in the Mediterranean, seen in conjunction with the geographical conditions within which it operated.

Reviews

'… a useful and scholarly book which brings together an imposing mass of information about shipping in the medieval Mediterranean … this is a study which all interested in the medieval and early modern history of the Mediterranean will find of value.' The Times Higher Education Supplement

'… a serious study which has the merit of recording the gaps which must be filled concerning the seamen of the Middle Ages in order to give us a complete panorama …' Mariner's Mirror

' … a powerful example of the usefulness of making a careful study of technical and geographical influences in history.' History

' … an excellent addition to both naval history and the history of technology …' International History Review