Global Ships: Seafaring, Shipwrecks, and Boatbuilding in the Global Middle Ages
By Amanda Respess
Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781009343398
From the sturdy cogs of the Baltic Sea to the stitched-hull ships of the Indian Ocean, this book explores the vessels that enabled long-distance maritime trade and travel. It examines how these ships were built and what made them particularly well-suited to the regions they sailed.
Excerpt:
The purpose of this Element is to provide a general, introductory sketch of the material history of premodern seafaring in the Old World that is accessible to non-specialists, be they students or scholars. It is not a work of new research, but an assemblage of examples from the world’s oceans that surveys key technological developments in interconnected maritime regions. To adequately historicize premodern maritime technology, even at the introductory level found in Global Ships, it is also necessary to explicitly discuss the role that seafaring and technology have played in the political and cultural imaginaries of Western historiography. This text is intended for use in the classroom or by political and cultural historians whose work draws them to the findings of maritime archaeology and who require a concise overview of the significance of extant premodern maritime material culture and technologies.
Who is this book for?
Though just 62 pages long, this book covers a wide geographic range, detailing many of the ships that sailed from the Pacific to the Mediterranean. It serves as a valuable introduction for students of maritime history and a useful resource for anyone interested in the Global Middle Ages.
The Author
Amanda Respess is an assistant professor of premodern world history at The Ohio State University. Her focus is on the Maritime Silk Road. Check out her interview on The Medieval Podcast:
Global Ships: Seafaring, Shipwrecks, and Boatbuilding in the Global Middle Ages
By Amanda Respess
Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781009343398
From the sturdy cogs of the Baltic Sea to the stitched-hull ships of the Indian Ocean, this book explores the vessels that enabled long-distance maritime trade and travel. It examines how these ships were built and what made them particularly well-suited to the regions they sailed.
Excerpt:
The purpose of this Element is to provide a general, introductory sketch of the material history of premodern seafaring in the Old World that is accessible to non-specialists, be they students or scholars. It is not a work of new research, but an assemblage of examples from the world’s oceans that surveys key technological developments in interconnected maritime regions. To adequately historicize premodern maritime technology, even at the introductory level found in Global Ships, it is also necessary to explicitly discuss the role that seafaring and technology have played in the political and cultural imaginaries of Western historiography. This text is intended for use in the classroom or by political and cultural historians whose work draws them to the findings of maritime archaeology and who require a concise overview of the significance of extant premodern maritime material culture and technologies.
Who is this book for?
Though just 62 pages long, this book covers a wide geographic range, detailing many of the ships that sailed from the Pacific to the Mediterranean. It serves as a valuable introduction for students of maritime history and a useful resource for anyone interested in the Global Middle Ages.
The Author
Amanda Respess is an assistant professor of premodern world history at The Ohio State University. Her focus is on the Maritime Silk Road. Check out her interview on The Medieval Podcast:
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
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