a tactical genius and chie8y responsible for the Catalan -Aragonese naval empire during his thirteen-year command. The author maintains that the u nderrated Roger managed victories over larger Aeets because he skillfully deployed a network of spies and knew how to integrate Sicilian rowers, Muslim cavalry, Catalan crossbowmen and marines from various parts of the M editerranean. Roger's men were volunteers and not conscripts forced into service. They fought under Roger's banner with zeal and excelled, not only in tradition al set naval combats, but in amphibious operations and long distance miss ions as well. While the title of this book specifies the War of the Sicilian Vespers, Mott deals with a wider range of naval engagements and maritime matters. Despite Roger's sacrifice of sturdy defensive vessels for speed, his operations ranged throughout the Mediterranean. To understand the complexities of such, Mott provides a thorough analysis of medieval naval warfare ranging from types of ships, methods of warfare, and logistics. Mott's discussions on ship construction, particularly the high forecastles and bulwarks of Catalan ships, which provided protection against missiles, are supported by excellent illustrations. The most interesting aspect of Roger's career was his 1292 raid into th e Aegean. Why did he take his horse transports to the Aegean? There are precious few places for cavalry warfare on these islands. Not only does the author elevate Roger to the ranks of the great military figures of the medieval world, he enriches maritime studies. Furthermore, h e gives a boost to the besieged Mahanian thesis by demonstrating that Roger deployed sea power to prevail over states with greater land forces. This magisterial study is intended more for the pinpoint specialist than the general reader. Among the items in the large bibliography are unpublished accounts from the Cathedral of Valencia from 1288-90 and 1291-92 that provide detailed information about the CatalanAragonese Aeet and m edi eval m aritime matters.
A Pirate Of Exquisite Mind-Explorer, Naturalist, and Buccaneer: The Life of William Dampier by Diana and Michael Preston (Walker & Company, New York, 2004, 372pp, illus, maps, notes, biblio, index, ISBN 0-8027- 1425-0; $27hc) William Dampier was born in 1651, the son of a tenant farmer. H e received a basic education and could read Latin and do arithmetic. When orphaned at age fourteen, Dampier's guardians sent him to sea. This fortuitous set of circumstances, education and sea-faring, created one of th e most imporLanL exp lorers and naturalists of the Age of Exploration . Established explorers such as James Cook and naturalists such as Charles Darwin would pore over Dampier's writings (Dampier visited Australia eighty years before Cook), absorbing his observations and using them as the basis for much of their own work. Diana and Michael Preston meticulously researched his career and have brought to light the man and events behind Dam pier's observations about the biology and botany of the Caribbean, South Pacific, and Australia, and, importantly, his oceanographic data on currents, winds, and tides. In A Pirate ofExquisite Mind the Prestons present a view of the rough and often harrowing seafaring life that Dampier and seafarers of that era experienced. D ampier spent part of his career as a pirate in the Caribbean and Pacific. He eventually lefr their company to set sail across the globe. In his lifetime, he circumnavigated three times and wrote extensively about his observations and experiences. Back in England, his books and writings became bestsellers, influencing scientists and explorers who followed. As part of their research, the Prestons retraced D ampier's voyages. While they did not recreate his physical suffering, illnesses, and periods of near starvation, their travels to the places he sailed added to their understanding and their ability to convey the sheer enormity of Dampier's accomplishments. The Prestons achieved their goal. A Pirate Of Exquisite Mind illuminates one of the most pervasive footnotes in the literature of the Age of Exploration.
ANTHONY]. PAPALAS
CINDEE HERRICK
Greenville, North Carolina
New London, Connecticut
SEA HISTORY I 09, WINTER 2004-2005
New and Noted Adventures of a Sea Hunter: In Search of Famous Shipwrecks, by James P. Delgado (Douglas & Mcintyre, Vancouver, BC, 2004, 230pp, illus, bib lio, index, 1-55365-071 -9; $25hc) Caliban's Shore: The Wreck ofthe Grosvenor and the Strange Fate of Her Survivors, by Stephen Taylor (W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 2004, 320pp, illus, appen, notes, biblio, index, ISBN 0-393-05085-8; $24.95hc) ISBN
Compass: A Story of Exploration and Innovation, by Alan Gurney (W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 2004, 320pp, ill us, appen, notes, biblio , index, ISBN 0-393-05073 -4; $22.95hc)
Eugene O'Neill and Dat Ole Davi/ Sea: Maritime Influences in the Life and Works of Eugene O'Neill, by Robert A. Richter (Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT, 2004, 2 l 5pp, photos, notes, biblio, index, ISBN 0-939510-97-9; $24.95hc) Fair Wind and Plenty of It, by Rigel Crockett (Alfred A. Knopf Canada, Toronto, 2004, 392pp, photos, map, illus, ISBN 0-676-9 7634-4; $34. 95hc) O\XINE R"S STAT EMENT Srnremf" nr fil ed 11 / 12/0 4 required by ch e Acr of Aug. 12, 1970 , Sec. 3685, ¡ni1e 39, US Code: Sm History is published quarterl y at 5 John Walsh Blvd. , Peekskill NY 10566; minimum subscripti on price is $17.50. Publisher and edi to r-in-chi ef: Non e; Edirnr is Deirdre E. O ' Regan; owner is Natio nal Maritim e Hisrorical Soci ety, a non-profit corporation; all are locared at 5 John \Xfalsh Blvd. , Peekskil l NY 10566. During rhe 12 months precedin g O crnbcr 2004 the ave rage number of (A) copies printed each issue was 25,5 12; (B) paid and/ or requested circulation was: ( I) outside-co unty mail subscriptions 8, 119; (2) in-counry subscriptions O; (3) sales th rough dealers, carriers, counter sales, oth er non -USPS paid disrribll(ion 448; (4) orher classes mail ed throu gh US PS 369; (C) torn! paid and/or requested circulation was 8,936; (D) free d isrribution by mail , samples, co mpli menrary and oth er 15, 108; (E) free distri bution outside the mai ls 844; (F) toral free di stributio n was 15 ,952; (G ) rornl disrribmion 24,887; (H ) copi es not di stribmccl 625; (I ) total {of J 5G and H ] 25,5 12; U) Percentage paid and/o r requested circulation 36%. The actual numbers fo r the sin gle iss ue preceding O cwber 2004 are: (A) toral number prim ed 25.539; (B) paid and/or requested ci rculation was: ( I) ourside-coum y mail subscriptions 8,000; (2) in-coun ry subscriprions O; (3) sales throu gh dealers, carriers, counter sales, other non- USPS paid distributi on 448; (4) ocher classes mailed through US PS 350; (C) total paid and/or requested circulation was 8,798; (0 ) free distribution by mail, sa mples, complimenrary and other l 5,350; (E) free distributio n o utside the mails 1,000; (F) total free distributi on was 16,350 ; (G) roral discriburi on 25, 148; (H) copies not dis1ribmed 39 1; (I ) cotal (o f I 5G and H ] 25,539; U) Percentage paid and /or requesred circul ati on 35%. I ce rti~' that rh e above sratemcnts are correct and co mp lete. (s igned) Burchenal Green, Executive Direcror, Narional Maritime Hi srorical Society.
47