The Mysterious Letter

I have just started a discussion on my latest paper 

https://www.academia.edu/82514995/The_Mysterious_Letter

This chapter from my book, "The Enchanting Encounter with the East," continues the exploration of the popular character (Prester John) and his impact on multiple fans worldwide. I invite you to take part in the debates. 

In the abstract, I wrote: "The mysterious letter penned by the elusive potentate, Prester John, became the talk of several European royal courts. The writer invited heads of state to visit his fascinating country abounding with marvels and wonders. The audience was divided between enchantment and skepticism, leaving nobody lukewarm". 

Meanwhile, I devoted much time to developing my current topic: the evolution of war galleys in the medieval and renaissance Mediterranean. I think I have found a reference point, the Byzantine fleet, especially its ebb and flow between the sixth and the eleventh centuries.   

The rise of the Italian fleets hangs on an extraordinary discovery: placing the two rowers side by side on one bank of oars instead of positioning them in two tiers is more practical. Some researchers do not distinguish between the two meanings: in Byzantine dromons, all oarsmen sat on two levels, whereas in Italian galleys, each pair occupied the same bench. Both watercraft are called biremes, but the difference allowed the latter to have the edge over their rivals and paved the way for all other fleets, Christian or Muslim, to follow. 

Another interesting note concerns the visibility of sailors at sea. Byzantine experts advise putting reconnaissance ships in front of the fleet, at three and six miles. At such a distance, sailors could communicate by signaling with flags. This gap is more important than overall visibility from the masthead, i.e. about 12 miles. The issue was how to convey this info to other vessels in the shortest possible time. 

I chose three books that I need to reread before making headway. The first is JOHN H. PRYOR & ELIZABETH M. JEFFREYS, THE AGE OF THE DROMON. In a book for specialists, I skipped many pages but there is a pleroma of useful notes and citations. The second is Angus Konstam, Peter Dennis, and Peter Bull, Byzantine Warship vs Arab Warship. This is a popular book with useful conclusions concerning the interaction between hostile fleets. The last one is Charles D. Stanton, Medieval Maritime Warfare. A resourceful book with many insights that I can apply to different events and situations. I hope that when I finish reading these books, I will have a better view of the subject.