October 1, 2024
Haywood's Ocean sets itself a daunting task--to convey the history, geology, and legends surrounding the Atlantic and eventual European progress across it. And the hefty work delves in with relish on topics ranging from which early humans ate the first oysters to tales of the souls inhabiting the Fortunate Isles to the west. Several possible reasons are offered for why traversing the open waters of the Atlantic was primarily done by developing European nations, including particularly adverse conditions off the African coastline and the stability of Middle Eastern trade with the much closer Asian countries. The author's academic background in medieval history and early European maritime ventures especially shines in the sections outlining the treks across the North Atlantic by early Scandinavians. A selection of maps illustrates the currents that inhibited travel across the ocean as well as the evolving knowledge of what lay beyond familiar shores. An extensive bibliography closes out the book for anyone interested in pursuing the topic further. Overall, a fascinating dive into a true ocean of history.
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November 2, 2024
Historian Haywood (Timelines: The Events That Shaped History) has penned a sweeping, eye-opening maritime history of the North Atlantic Ocean. Crammed with fascinating stories and details, this narrative spans thousands of years, from Stone Age hunter-gatherers who put dugout canoes to sea, to the transoceanic voyages of Christopher Columbus in the 1490s. The book also touches on the maritime activities (mostly harvesting of fish and shellfish) of Indigenous peoples in North America. For example, readers learn about the Calusa people of what is now southwest Florida, whose towns were constructed on built-up piles of oyster shells; the royal palace's foundation was 18.5 billion shells. However, the book's primary focus is on Celtic, Norse, and other European seafarers, such as Irish hermits, Basque whalers, German merchants, Andalusian explorers, and even mice, which came over on a Viking ship to the isolated Madeira islands a thousand years ago. Haywood explores millennia of seaborne trading and raiding, cultural and genetic interchange, immigration, and colonization from Greenland to Cabo Verde. VERDICT Haywood eschews footnotes to keep the narrative flowing, but the quality of his research is never in doubt. An expertly written and accessible survey of the pre-Columbian Atlantic world. Fans of David Abulafia, Mark Kurlansky, Barry Cunliffe, or Simon Winchester will relish this notable book.--Michael Rodriguez
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