BOOK REVIEWS John B. Hattendorf (ed.). Maritime History, ignored, this merely reflects the fact that no Volume I: The Age of Discovery. Malabar, FL: book of this sort can possibly treat all potential Krieger Publishing, 1996. xv + 331 pp., illustra• topics. More disturbing, however, is the solidly tions, maps, tables, suggested readings, index. Eurocentric perspective: after all the work in US $29.50, paper; ISBN 0-89464-834-9. recent years by maritime scholars sensitive to non-European contributions, the sort of myopia Some instructors who teach undergraduate suggested by the volume's title is very much to courses on the age of exploration have long be regretted. complained about the lack of a suitable text• Unfortunately, the book is much less suc• book. The Age of Discovery, which contains cessful at introducing students to the main selected lectures from a National Endowment for debates in specialized fields than in providing a the Humanities-sponsored summer institute at broad survey. Without question the two most Brown University in 1992 edited by John B. solid sections in this regard are those on "The Hattendorf, currently Ernest J. King Professor of Late Medieval Background" and "Spain and the Maritime History at the Naval War College in Conquest of the Atlantic." Unger's prose is Newport, RI, is on one level planned to fill this always a delight, and his chapters here are no need. As a volume in Krieger's imaginative exception. The debates are clearly articulated, "Open Forum Series," it is also designed "to and a brief, but well chosen, selection of recom• summarize the latest interpretations in this field" mended readings will quickly take even neo• and to introduce "students to the wider litera• phytes to the heart of the various issues. Simi• ture." Measured against these two objectives the larly, the five chapters on Spain, which collec• book has decidedly mixed success, serving much tively comprise the largest part of the book, better as a text than as an introduction to the provide a good overview of current debates, most important debates. Moreover, the degree to although since more of the relevant literature is which the latter goal is met is related to the in languages other than English, it is likely that particular author involved. a higher proportion of students will find some difficulty in consulting it. As a narrative, the book does a reasonable job of touching many of the high points. The It is necessary, however, to be much more opening section — three chapters on "The Late critical of the other two sections. While Tony Medieval Background" by Richard W. Unger of Ryan, who was given by far the broadest remit, the University of British Columbia — is especial• does deal fairly effectively with some of the ly useful, particularly the chapters on navigation historiographie debates, his list of suggested and ship types. It is also nice to have a lengthy readings is heavily weighted toward older — and section on "Portuguese Expansion," a subject not necessarily more readable — studies. But the often poorly-treated in general surveys. The Verlinden and Winius chapters on Portugal for contributions here come mostly from Charles the most part not only ignore the debates but Verlinden, with a single chapter by George also provide little guidance on the current Winius. A third set of chapters by Felipe Fer- literature. To be fair, Winius does append a nândez-Armesto, William D. Phillips, Jr., and reasonable one-paragraph discussion of the Carla Rahn Phillips, focus on "Spain and the secondary sources. But in four chapters Verlin• Conquest of the Atlantic," while a final segment den provides a list of selected readings only for by Tony Ryan on "The World Encompassed" the one on cartography, arguably the least examines primarily the British and French central of his topics. contributions. Although it is somewhat disap• On balance, The Age of Discovery can be pointing that smaller European maritime powers, a useful introductory text in university-level such as the Netherlands, are for the most part maritime history courses or general surveys if 49 50 The Northern Mariner used with care. But despite its good intentions, their mixed race, French and black West Indian. it falls far short of being an adequate introduc• The trading regions immediately to the tion even to all the obvious topics, let alone south and north of Bordeaux, but in widely those that fall outside the limited remits given different periods, are the subjects of three other the various authors. Instructors who adopt it — articles. The best is about eighteenth-century or students who discover it on their own — need trade between Aquitaine and Spanish Navarre, to be aware of this shortcoming in order to centred on the town of Pamplune. Excellent avoid walking away with a misplaced confi• maps (the only maps in this volume) show the dence that they comprehend the most important currents of trade out of Spanish Navarre. Most debates. The Age of Discovery ought more of this trade in early modern times was by appropriately to be viewed as the first leg in a routes across the Pyrenees to the French port of much more complex intellectual voyage. Bayonne, which makes this article a welcome addition to the meagre history of Bayonne trade Lewis R. Fischer presently accessible. The other two articles in St. John's, Newfoundland this group are much shorter: an interesting study of the Spanish Basques on the Atlantic in the Paul Butel, Ph. Loupes, J. Pontet (eds.). Bulletin sixteenth century is based on archival research in du Centre d'histoire des espaces atlantiques, Spain, but is only a tantalizing twelve pages no.7. Talence: Éditions de la Maison des long; and another on mutual social assistance in Sciences de l'Homme d'Aquitaine, 1995 [Espla• the Charente-inférieure, 1850-1845, is no more nade des Antilles, Domaine universitaire, 33405 than a summary in three pages. Talence CEDEX, France]. 231 pp., tables, On the subject of overseas enterprise, al• figures, maps. 100 FFr, paper; ISBN 2-85892- ways present in the Bulletin, the longest article 223-3. tells a detailed story of nineteenth-century French investments in Venezuela, especially in This scholarly annual publishes articles about the its short-lived mint, 1885-90. The story is set in history of life on any ocean, not only the Atlan• the period of Ferdinand de Lesseps' work on the tic; witness Geneviève Bouchon's survey herein Panama Canal when French businessmen were of trade and society around the Indian Ocean at drawn to invest more and more in Latin the time the Portuguese first sailed on it in the America. Two other articles concern war and years before and after 1500. (183-97) The trade, one raising questions about the effects of Bulletin has a natural tendency, however, to the British blockade in the Napoleonic wars, the focus on enterprise at Bordeaux, where the three other — unfortunately without notes or references editors are university professors. Among the of any kind - surveying the French system of most substantial of the thirteen pieces presented convoys in the eighteenth-century wars. here are three detailed studies of Bordeaux Twelve of the thirteen authors cite their merchant groups in the seventeenth century, sources, and some offer useful comments on especially the numerous Dutchmen and other them. However, the principal editor (and foreigners. They are the fruit of research in founder) of the Bulletin, Paul Butel, has contrib• notarial and other records at Bordeaux, and one uted an article, Archives d'entreprise et histoire of them (by Bernard Gautier) also touches on du négoce, in which he reports on the progress the foreign merchants at Rouen. The three of studies in French overseas trade. He directs authors have tried to draw general conclusions attention especially to work on such family about the currents of trade and the rising and firms as Schroder, Schyler, Cruse and some of falling of foreign merchant interests at Bor• the brandy merchants. deaux, but all offer enough of their findings — Nearly all of the work in this volume names and facts — to interest serious students of concerns maritime business enterprise. At the French trade and traders. Two shorter articles same time, much of the research behind this deal with individual firms at Bordeaux (Cayrou work is inevitably genealogical, as most early and Castaing) in the period circa 1750-1900, in modern business was done by family firms which the Castaing family were interesting for whose social history is usually more accessible Book Reviews 51 than their trade. Used in this way, genealogical earlier. The advent of the steamer reduced studies are a welcome trend, especially where Rôdhamn's importance, and the inn eventually business records are lacking and consequently closed in 1940. the few firms whose records do survive may The Tsarist regime's efforts to Russify the figure too prominently in history books. Where Finnish pilotage service in the years before this is the case, a more accurate picture of World War I are examined in one essay, sup• trading circles may be sketched by tracing the ported by three pages of documentation. Finnish evolution and activities of merchant families, pilots staged a mass resignation in 1912 as part using the few whose papers have survived only of a campaign passive resistance against a as examples. hateful and corrupt regime. The Tsarist author• ities responded by trying to replace the Finnish J.F. Bosher pilots with Russians whose only experience had Ottawa, Ontario been in the Caspian Sea. Other contributions include discussion of Bôrje Karlsson, et al. (eds.). Sjôhistorisk Ars- the construction of steel vessels in Aland, which skrift for Aland, 1994-95.