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Beyond The Blue Horizon: How The Earliest Mariners Unlocked The Secrets Of The Oceans (2012)

by Brian M. Fagan(Favorite Author)

3.24 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1608190056 (ISBN13: 9781608190058)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Bloomsbury Press

review 1: Fagan cautions, early in his introduction, that there are at least two approaches to reading Beyond the Blue Horizon:1. You can start at Chapter 1 and read through to the end;, or2. You can can choose a section devoted to a particular place on the globe, finish it and chose another.I liked the latter. I bounced around soaking up some great insights Fagan offers as an archaeologist, sailor and historian. Whether talking about indigenous tribes navigating the coast of Germany or Alaska or the Norse setting off for Iceland, he had my attention.Yes, there is repetition from section to section as humans find similar solutions to challenges. Yes, there is speculation (most of it based on science) as he explores why people are willing to head away from familiar landmarks int... moreo the deep blue sea.Fagan did a great job of open my eyes to the accomplishments of previous generations and to placing many of the things we take for granted in firm historical context. His style is easy on the reader and his approach makes it easy to pick up the book, read a few pages and feel rewarded.
review 2: Fagan combines his personal expertise as a lifetime sailor with archaeological materials to explore the maritime civilizations as they took the breathtaking leap from coastal waters into the great unknown. For each, he examines how their culture, their available materials and their particular body of water combined to produce a unique seafaring expertise and relationship with the waves, turning up such gems as the importance of memorized landmarks in the Iliad, the effect of the regular rhythms of the monsoon winds in the Indian ocean on merchant families, the amazing sophistication of arctic kayaks and waterproof insulated suits of sea lion skin, Polynesian family structure and the pressure for expansion and the motivations of Irish monks in leather boats. As usual, Fagan's endnotes are well worth scanning for further reading list additions. less

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