Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

This outstanding contribution to maritime archaeology will fascinate the general reader and inform the specialist. The book deals with virtually every aspect of boats and boating from the late Paleolithic to the later Middle Ages in Northern and Western Europe. Aspects of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman boatbuilding are employed where pertinent, supplemented by documentary evidence. Ethnographic analogies are used where they are relevant to reader understanding of ancient practices. Every primary type of water transport is dealt with from bundle rafts to plank boat building. Naval architecture, boat handling, landing places, and harbors are considered in detail. A glossary of terms guides the novice while numerous line drawings and photographs geographically illustrate the technology of construction and use. A splendid addition to our knowledge of maritime history. Recommended for public, college, and university libraries.-C.C. Lamberg-Karlovsky, Harvard University