Product Description

This book reveals how human perception of the northern seas has changed over time by exploring the themes of human relationships and the marine environment.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #892279 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

Review
'This is an imaginative, thoughtful and thought-provoking study...As well as offering a mass of fascinating detail and discussion, the book addresses some big ideas that deserve to be tested by other historians...This book is a fine example of the new maritime history, and should be as widely read for its aims and methods as for its fascinating subject matter.' - Graeme J. Milne, The Mariner's Mirror (2002)

'This book is a valuable introducation to a fascinating region which has done much to shape world history. It is very well written and thought-provoking on a number of levels. The authors have met the daunting challenge of writing the history of the northern seas with considerable distinction.' - Zeitschift für Ostmitteleuropa-Forschung

From the Back Cover
The Baltic and North Seas are great seafaring regions with rich and varied histories, intricately linked by maritime trade for centuries. The lives and circumstances of the peoples who live on their shores have been profoundly affected by climatic change over time, which has shaped and reshaped the maritime environment.
Exploring the themes of the human relationship with the marine environment and the ways in which the peoples of Northern Europe have experienced and exploited their seas, this book reveals how human perception of the northern seas has changed over time.
Major aspects covered include the struggle to control the sea and keep it at bay; the ways in which the maritime worlds of Northern Europe have been imagined and portrayed; the vulnerability of the seas to human action; the seas as a vital source of livelihood - as tradeways; for the pursuit of great power politics and as sources of health, leisure and pleasure - and the peoples spiritual relationship with the seas.

Customer Reviews

The Baltic and The North Seas
...The Baltic and the North Seas is the second book in the new Seas in History series. Like its predecessor, The Atlantic, by Paul Butel, it is edited by Geoffrey Scammell. Forthcoming titles in the series are set to include The Mediterranean, The Pacific and The Indian Ocean.

In this book the authors Kirby and Hinkkanen seek to explore and explain the growth of Maritime activity and its significance on the North and Baltic regions of Europe. The book provides a clear account of the development of seafaring power through the ages. This is not only is terms battles fought and ships launched but more importantly, on the influence the sea played on the development of nations and culture.
The book looks closely at the relationship between man and the waves, this feature explores maritime culture and seafaring not just as a profession but as a way of life. It also analyses the inter-linked history between the North and the Baltic in ways such as war, trade and exploration.
One of the key aspects of this works is its broad field of study. The authors bring together the various political, economic, cultural and strategic points that all combine to create a fascinating and well worthwhile read. The content is simple whilst at the same time highly in-depth and detailed. The beauty comes in that it is not simply a list of facts but the commentary and explanation provide a talkative, lecture like style, which will impress the professional historian and general reader alike.

Kirby and Hinkkanen have divided the writing most evenly. Kirby is reasonable for the first nine chapters, covering the discovery, repulsion and imagination around the seas. As well as writing regards trade, fishing and sea power, Kirby also explores the subjects’ of boats, ships and mariners themselves.
Hinkkanen on the other hand looks at the relationship between sailors and the sea, that is to say the experience of life at sea. Hinkkanen goes on to write about the role of maritime women and the ever present threats to the seas themselves, such as oil and over fishing.
Both authors draw upon and make extensive use of their expertise in the field. David Kirby having previously written several books regards the Baltic including "The Baltic World 1772-1993" and "Europe’s Northern Periphery in an Age of Change". Likewise Hinkkanen is respected authority on the history of Balkan economics and seafaring in the Northern regions.
The book includes 48 pages of notes as well as a 14 page bibliography covering the author’s sources and background information. The sources themselves have been drawn together from a wide range, including chronicles, sea memoirs and travel accounts in addition to monographs and articles. This makes the book of great use to the student or professional historian who has an interest in or is studying the history of the Baltic and North Seas.

Drawing on their combined knowledge, Kirby and Hinkkanen piece together the development of sea power and the impact of the sea on culture. The subject matter moves from the earliest days of the Viking longboats and their raids along the coasts of Europe to the effects of modern day chemicals such as DDT on the aquatic environment and food-chain. As one would presume from a book of such size it is far more comprehensive than most others in the field such as "The North Sea and The Baltic Sea" by Nina Morgan, which is aimed more at the casual reader.

Furthermore, The Baltic and North Seas contains an interesting selection of quotes and verse that seek to provide an insight into the spirit of seafaring. This adds great character to the book and combined with its detailed content makes an ideal keystone in the research of history in this area. It is an excellent and comprehensive summary that should not be missed by anyone with a slight interest in the history of Europe’s seas.