The Mediterranean in History

For over four thousand years the Mediterranean was the center of Western civilization. Geographically, it is a world in miniature, an inland sea whose shores encompass every type of terrain and climate -- barren deserts, fertile plains, snow-capped mountains, peninsulas, islands, and separate minor seas with distinct characters of their own. Historically, it has been the meeting place of the cultures of Europe, Asia, and Africa, the battleground of races and nations, and the focus of three great religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The distinguished Mediterranean scholar David Abulafia has brought together a team of eight leading specialists from many countries to tell this enthralling and complex story as a connected narrative: from a description of the physical setting, the prehistoric traders, and the struggle between Phoenicians, Greeks, and Etruscans ending in Roman victory, to a discussion of the post-Roman nations, the Christian powers in the north, the Islamic powers in the south, the domination by England and France, and, finally, the twentieth century, divided between war and mass tourism. This richly illustrated book offers contemporary historical writing at its best and will engage specialists, students, and general readers alike.