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The Seafarers

The Ancient Mariners

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This volume in The Seafarers series surveys the various seafarers of the ancient world, including Greece and Rome, their ships, trade, and battles at sea.

176 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1981

86 people want to read

About the author

Colin Thubron

45 books436 followers
Colin Thubron, CBE FRSL is a Man Booker nominated British travel writer and novelist.

In 2008, The Times ranked him 45th on their list of the 50 greatest postwar British writers. He is a contributor to The New York Review of Books, The Times, The Times Literary Supplement and The New York Times. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Thubron was appointed a CBE in the 2007 New Year Honours. He is a Fellow and, as of 2010, President of the Royal Society of Literature.

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5 stars
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15 (40%)
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Nick.
433 reviews7 followers
October 13, 2023
The noted travel writer, Colin Thubron, takes a long historical view of navies and merchant navies from ancient Egypt to the Roman Empire in a volume from The Seafarers, published by Time-Life in the 1980’s. He glides through the centuries covering various aspects of the evolution of seapower, sailing, ship construction, sailors, significant battles and sea trade through the centuries. Fabulous illustrations and photos accompanying the text, relevant side stories interspersed throughout and lots of maps make for a very enjoyable read.
Profile Image for James.
147 reviews1 follower
August 21, 2021
An informative yet easy to read look at the birth and growth of sailing in the Mediterranean. I wish it also included other parts of the world, especially the far east, but this is still very interesting. After all, who knew the Greeks were once just a bunch of pirates and that the Egyptians build increasingly useless super-ships with thousands of rowers?
Profile Image for J.f. Dargon.
Author 3 books2 followers
April 16, 2014
Very well researched, and extremely informative; this book details the history of the Mediterranean sea trade through the use of archaelogical finds, period art and sculpture, and the historic record. It is a must read for anyone interested in the metamorphosis of sea travel, naval engagements, and trade, and their impacts upon Western man's political evolution. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the development of sea power and the means taken to achieve it in the ancient Western world.
Profile Image for Diego.
520 reviews3 followers
October 30, 2024
Un libro muy bello, muy bien ilustrado con mapas, mosaicos y artefactos arqueológicos. Esta compuesto de 5 ensayos que se centran en la evolución de la navegación en el mar Mediterráneo desde la edad de bronce hasta la caída del imperio romano oriental en 1453. Los ensayos son magníficos, las viñetas con información sobre los barcos y su tecnología son muy divertidas. Un gran libro.
Profile Image for Brisio.
54 reviews
July 23, 2023
La porzione dedicata alla battaglia di Salamina è uno spettacolo. Edizione di pregio recuperata nella casa al mare, una chicca
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews

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