Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History, edited by John B. Hattendorf. 4 vols. 2,836p. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. 978-0-19-513075-1; 2006-100162. $550.

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History On the edge of the Egyptian desert, visitors to the Cheops pyramid in Giza also can examine one of the greatest artifacts of maritime history, a 141-foot-long ship that had lain buried for more than 4,500 years in a rock hewn pit near the entrance of the pyramid. Used to transport the ancient pharaoh from the nearby funerary temple to his final resting place, the ship was dismantled before burial and discovered by modern archaeologists in 1954. The process of reconstructing the ancient ship took more than ten years and revealed the highly sophisticated shipbuilding technology that existed at literally the dawn of history. The timbers of the ancient boat were sewn together. Upon getting wet, the wood would swell and the ropes would shrink, thereby creating a watertight hull. Clearly the technology necessary for creating the Egyptian ship had been developing for a long time. In fact, there is plenty of indirect evidence that humans had developed the skills to navigate open water at a much earlier date. Archaeologists have demonstrated that obsidian unique to the island of Melos was traded widely around the Mediterranean more than 5,000 years before the construction of the Egyptian ship from Giza. The peopling of Australia and the South Pacific 50,000 to 40,000 years ago required the negotiation of many miles of open water. Thus, human seafaring, or maritime history, far exceeds the age of agriculture and civilization.

This new encyclopedia explores the venerable history of seafaring. While the chief emphasis is on the modern maritime record from the fifteenth century to the present, many articles focus on the classical and medieval worlds as well as the voyages of exploration by Viking, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Polynesian and even Incan navigators. Essays on particular bodies of water provide regional overviews of maritime history. Additional regional orientation is also provided in the history of navies, modern naval powers and maritime battles. However, unlike many previous reference tools for maritime studies, the social and economic aspects of maritime history receive equal coverage. Many of the more than 900 articles explore the shipping, fishing and whaling industries, the nature of shipboard life, or the interactions of seafarers with various land-based communities. Maritime law, the science of navigation and the development of different types of vessels are explored at length. From The Odyssey to the naval novels of Patrick O'Brien, the use of maritime themes in art, music, and literature is examined. Also noted are the contributions of people and places. From Christopher Columbus and Zheng He to Amsterdam to Yokohama, many individuals and port cities have exercised a tremendous influence on maritime history. Their stories and much more are presented in this groundbreaking guide. An excellent index, frequent cross-references, a topical outline and extensive bibliographies guide further research. With more than 400 illustrations and 60 maps, this outstanding work will serve public and academic libraries.
—John R.M. Lawrence