Michael Baizerman Author

I have completed the paper titled "Beyond the Pillars of Hercules". I have made loads of corrections in the draft copy and for the first time used expressions from a special glossary which I fill in on a parallel basis with my reading the topic. I am hopeful that my new article has become much more presentable.  However, I will refrain from uploading it on the site before offering it to some magazines, many of which insist on exclusive rights. I will also appeal to Mr. Misyuk, the editor of the Russian-language literary magazine 'The Captain's Cabin' who is going to publish my previous article, 'How Wide Spans the Ocean Sea' next month. You can find this paper on my site  https://www.academia.edu/41214506/How_Wide_Spans_the_Ocean_Sea As for my second book, "The Enchanting Encounter with the East", I will address several small publishing houses which accept manuscript from authors. It should be a traditional publisher whom I will give fu...

Image:  The Strait of Gibraltar viewed from the space, with Jebel Tariq on the port side and Jebel Musa to the starboard Courtesy:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Gibraltar#/media/File:STS059-238-074_Strait_of_Gibraltar.jpg I have written the first draft of my new research which deals with the 'opening' of the Strait of Gibraltar for Christian vessels at the end of the thirteenth century. This topic alludes to one of the chapters of the Reconquista, especially the struggle for the domination of the three ports which served the vessels wishing to enter the Strait: Tarifa, Algeciras, and Gibraltar. My paper includes four parts. Part 1, The Evil Omen, refers to the ancient spell laid on the crossing of the Pillars of Hercules by poets and historians. However, it did not prevent ancient or medieval Mediterranean mariners from venturing into the Atlantic. Part 2, Passing through the Eye of the Needle, discusses some weather vagaries and navigation hazards w...