Seafaring, Sailors and Trade, 1450-1750

Presenting 12 unaltered articles on British and European sea power published in the last 40 years, this volume is concerned with the roots of sea power and with how, why, and at what human cost it was extended to most of the waters of the world in the centuries after 1400. The articles discuss comparatively neglected topics such as the building of merchantmen, the skills of their commanders, the working conditions and behaviors of their crews, and the causes and consequences of the global expansion. Scammell (Cambridge U.) includes chapters covering British Merchant Shipbuilding, 1500-1750; English chartered trading companies and the sea; European Seafaring in Asia; and After Da Gama, Europe and Asia since 1498. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)