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dda9's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this journey through world history from a maritime perspective. Paine did a great job linking the history of the sea with events on land and illustrating how the two shaped each other.
My only complaint is that in the final chapter, Paine's view of the world situation is naïve and short sighted. He recommends transforming the American navy into essentially a global coast guard, dumping the ships and capabilities that are meant to fight high-end navies. His reason for this is that their are no rival navies. First, countless people have taken such a view throughout history. When they allow their militaries to decline, a rival inevitably springs up and punishes them for their short-sightedness. For somebody writing a history, this ignorance is inexcusable. Second, this view would be slightly more understandable in 1995, when the US Navy really did have no real challengers, but this was no longer the case at the time of publication in 2013.
Despite the lapse of the final chapter, this is a wonderful history that lends a new perspective to those whose history, like most people's, is largely seen from a terrestrial view.
My only complaint is that in the final chapter, Paine's view of the world situation is naïve and short sighted. He recommends transforming the American navy into essentially a global coast guard, dumping the ships and capabilities that are meant to fight high-end navies. His reason for this is that their are no rival navies. First, countless people have taken such a view throughout history. When they allow their militaries to decline, a rival inevitably springs up and punishes them for their short-sightedness. For somebody writing a history, this ignorance is inexcusable. Second, this view would be slightly more understandable in 1995, when the US Navy really did have no real challengers, but this was no longer the case at the time of publication in 2013.
Despite the lapse of the final chapter, this is a wonderful history that lends a new perspective to those whose history, like most people's, is largely seen from a terrestrial view.
datrnq's review against another edition
4.0
Truly enjoyable and informative It’s a hefty book, but since it covers about 25,000 years of history we can understand why. Highly recommended.
kaiulanifrolich's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent world history from the perspective of the sea! Maps are included, but I would urge the reader to frequently use google maps while reading.
alpho's review against another edition
3.0
I wish this book had been divided into two: the first, a compellingly written book of about, say, 400 pages that made the case for how important and fascinating maritime history is. The second, a whole series of books that gives each chapter the book it deserves. It’s often a really interesting book, but just as often it feels both like it’s bogged down in boring and unnecessary detail and like it’s skimming over interesting material at top speed. Simultaneously.
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