Arab Seafaring: In the Indian Ocean in Ancient and Early Medieval Times (Expanded Edition)

In this classic work George Hourani deals with the history of the sea trade of the Arabs in the Indian Ocean from its obscure origins many centuries before Christ to the time of its full extension to China and East Africa in the ninth and tenth centuries. The book comprises a brief but masterly historical account that has never been superseded. The author gives attention not only to geography, meteorology, and the details of travel, but also to the ships themselves, including a discussion of the origin of stitched planking and of the lateen fore-and-aft sails. Piracy in the Indian Ocean, day-to-day life at sea, the establishment of ancient lighthouses and the production of early maritime guides, handbooks, and port directories are all described in fascinating detail. Arab Seafaring will appeal to anyone interested in Arab life or the history of navigation. For this expanded edition, John Carswell has added a new introduction, a bibliography, and notes that add material from recent archaeological research.

• The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth Century
• Arab Navigation in the Indian Ocean Before the Coming of the Portuguese
• Merchants And Faith: Muslim Commerce And Culture In The Indian Ocean (New Perspectives on Asian History)
• In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler's Tale
• Trade and Civilisation in the Indian Ocean: An Economic History from the Rise of Islam to 1750
• The Travels of Ibn Battutah
• When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-33 (Softcover)
• When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433
• In God's Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire (Ancient Warfare and Civilization)
• The Indian Ocean in World History (New Oxford World History)