clearly wro ng. Rieske concludes his remarks with commentary about Britain "defeating President James Madison" and the Americans claiming a "mythic victory." I had thought most historians were through with the "who won ?" controversy, recognizing that no on e, in fact, won the War of 1812 . Barring the introduction, I would recommend Midshipmen Gardiner's journal as interesting, though not necessarily informative, reading as a travelogue and co mmentary on South American society in 1813- 14. WILLIAM H. WHITE Grand Cayman, BWI
The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World by Lincoln Paine (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2013, 744p p, illus, biblio, notes, index, ISBN 978- 1-40004409-2; $40hc) The Sea and Civilization spans the beginnings of ci ti es and long-distan ce maritime trade at around 5,000 BCE, with flashbacks to earlier pre-history, and takes us fo rward to the present time. Ir is comprehensive, almost encyclopedic, and alive with insights and mystery and question s. The book is well written and has a great index, a comprehensive and useful bibliography, and an impressive selection of photos. Its greatest strengths are its many and compelling insights into global history. At $40, it is a great value for everyo n e's library. The vo lume starts with the tales of the greatest navigators in human histo ry, the Pacific Islanders. Paine says, "The islands of O ceania for m the locus of the oldest, most sustained, and perhaps most enigmatic effort of maritime exploration and migration in the history of the world." What was go ing on the time that made them want to wander? Was it fishing or curiosity, Paine wonders. Whatever the reason, the oceanic peoples began making cross-ocean voyages our of sight of land on the broad Pacific nearly 2,500 years befo re Norsemen crossed the Atlantic. The book is filled with insights that terrestrially based histories don't get, such as the fact that it was when Egyptians adopted the use of sails they were able to unify the nation. Simil arly, insights about M esopotam ian cultural diffusion are related to the fact that the main maritime trading partners SEA HISTORY 147, SUMMER 2014
were Harappa Valley of western India and Bahrain. When the Harappa Valley culture fell for unknown reasons aro und 1,800 BCE, Mesopotamia turned west to trade, and the rest is our history. They spread their creation myths, the Great Flood with a "Noah" who built a boat (of bundl ed reed covered with pitch, a traditional quffa) and saved living creatures. Mesopotamian m aritime laws (b uying and selling boats, rules of the road, casualty liability) also traveled with them. From this earl y history, Paine takes a journey across all the oceans and through th e centuries to the twenty-first century, where modern shipping is still the primary means of transporting cargoes in a global econom y. The strength s of The Sea and Civilization are its trem endous scope, in terms of time and space, integrating both as the story unfolds, and it is studded with insights throughout. Linco ln Paine clearly achieves his goal in the opening pages-"! want to change the way yo u see the world." ROBERTA WEISBROD Brooklyn, New York
Privateering, Piracy, and British Policy in Spanish America, 1810-1830by Matthew McCarthy (The Boydell Press, Suffolk, UK, 20 13, l 84pp, tables, notes, biblio, index, ISBN 978-1-84383-861-6; $ l l 5hc)
Privateering, Piracy, and British Policy in Spanish America, 1810-1830 is a scholarly exegesis for which Matthew McCarthy won the British Commission for Maritime History/Boydell & Brewer prize for best docto ral thes is in maritime history (University of Hull, 2011). Th e scope of this study examines privateering and piracy during the Spanish American revolutions "from a British perspective." McCarthy opens with a succi nct explanation of the complex domestic and internatio nal political scene that shaped British policy toward privateering and piracy in the early decades of the nineteenth century. Revo lutions in Spanish colonies created commercial and military opportunities for G reat Britain that required careful attentio n to internal and external pressures for policies to generate m aximum returns at minimum costs. McCarthy investigates the origins and legality of the privatee rs and pirates. Spain issued letters of marque and so did the revolutionary governments. Som e ship
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FIRE AWAY! Shoot Us Your Ideas.
The Hisroric Naval Ships Association (H NSA) would like to hear about topics you chink you think would be of interest {and willing co present) at our 2014 conference September 17-21 in Norfolk, VA. So shoot us your ideas and we'll fire back righr away!
Please contact: HNSA Conference Chair Toby Oothoudt
tobyo@bex.net â&#x20AC;˘ 419-340-2721
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