Seafaring and Civilization: Maritime Perspectives on World History

Review
'The sea has shaped us. This book helps us to recognise and understand the patterns it has drawn' - Dea Birkett, Independent

This book represents a laudable attempt to provide an overview of the way in which travel by sea has influenced the spread of trade, culture and ideas between continents. For the last three millennia, seafaring represented the primary means of contact between the more far-flung areas of human settlement, before air travel and electronic communication produced the beginnings of a truly global society at the end of the 20th century. As an outline survey, this volume has a good deal to recommend it, covering a huge timespan with an assured and very readable writing style. The book attempts to outline the main contributions to the science of shipbuilding and navigation before looking at the aspects of human experience and endeavour perhaps most influenced by sea travel, namely trade, empire, religion and health. A somewhat slight book given the size and scale of the subject matter but nonetheless interesting and informative. (Kirkus UK)

Product Description
Philip de Souza presents the history of the sea as a medium for the development and expansion of human society and 'civilization', viewing both the positive and negative impact. The narrative and argument is organized under the following broad heads: Navigation - from 'log boats' to supertankers; Trade - wheat and the Ancient Greeks or slaves to the Americas; Maritime empires; Religion - whether the expansion of Buddhism or Christian missionary initiatives; Food and health; Environment