Mystery of the Ancient Seafarers: Ancient Maritime Civilzation (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Toni Eugene (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In a beautiful volume featuring more than 170 maps and photographs, Mystery of the Ancient Seafarers follows the latest pursuits of National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Robert D. Ballard as he searches for clues to the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean. An immediate tie-in with the 2004 PBS special, Ballard's excavation focuses primarily on the story of the Phoenicians—traders who ruled Mediterranean commerce for 1,000 years, then disappeared.

A showcase of National Geographic's greatest strengths—exploration, discovery, and intricate maps—Mystery of the Ancient Seafarers is a fascinating journey through the depths of the Mediterranean and centuries of time.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic; illustrated edition edition (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792258452
• ISBN-13: 978-0792258452
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #883,145 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Maps, Excellent Text, February 22, 2005

By	Milo and Otis fan "Patrick" (Long Island, New York) - See all my reviews

"Mysteries of the Ancient Seafarers" covers the history, culture, legacy, and influence on exploration and navigation of numerous ancient maritime civilizations. Also, modern discoveries and shipwreck finds are written about in length. Scores of maps, photographs, and pictures make this book both interesting to read and beautiful to behold. The Phoenicians, Greeks, early Romans, Minoans, Egyptians, and other important seafaring civilizations are discussed. Every chapter contains several maps, and more than one chapter has at least two dozen beautiful pictures. Information about ancient trade routes, naval battles, and the development of both merchant and military craft is included.

This is an essential book for any library of ancient history, and the maps and pictures make it a work of art. The paper is of the finest quality, and the cover is sturdy. Anyone interested in ancient or navigational history must have this book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I know much more is down there. I'm going back-a lot.", August 4, 2006

By	J. Guild (Toronto,Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

An excellent book in every way. In case you haven't noticed it; Robert Ballard and all are the ones who found the Titanic in 1985 and are seen on the TV program "Sea Hunters". He is the world leader in searching and finding shipwercks. Until recent years,marine archaeologists have been limited to searching to 200 feet,the safe limit for scuba divers. The advances in underwater equipment now allows searching to depths of thousands of feet.
This book not only deals with the artifacts found,it covers the civilizations that lived around the mediterranean from the Atlantic,southern Europe,east to the Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf,and along north Africa.
Just finding and seeing the wrecks and artifacts,serves little purpose without understanding the history from about 3,000 B.C. to about 500 A.D.;essentially from the time of the Phoenicians ,the early Seafarers, to the end of the Holy Roman Empire. This is a complicated history,but in this book it is covered in a manner that makes its understanding as easy as possible. The test and supurb photos are helped with excellent maps showing the extent of each civilization.
The book makes reference to the recently learned huge flood that occurred 6 or 7,000 years ago that turned a great inland lake into the Black Sea. This is covered in great detail in another excellent book "Noah's Flood" by William Ryan and Walter Pitman; which I reviewed on March 1,2006.
This book is published by National Geographic and we once again get the excellent conctruction,paper,printing and photographic reproduction,we can count on from this fine publisher.
If you enjoy history,shipwrecks,artifacts, exploration and those wonderful "Sea Hunters" programs on the History Channel;you will be very impressed with this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best i've read , October 2, 2008

By	Paula S. Nesiba (Nebraska, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was so entertaining! I could of read it in one sitting! The book directly corolates with Dr. Ballard's exibition on ancient seafaring people in Mystic CT!! I know that I will read it many more times! Dr. Ballard is a true explorer and adventure seeker!!