Merchant Galleys (2)

 I have passed to a new stage of developing the collected data concerning medieval galleys. It will also take a great amount of time since I need to reread many pages and meanwhile I receive new articles and books. I feel that I am better prepared to address the subject and I think that besides ships and seafaring it will be good to show the life of people in the European Middle Ages and Renaissance. 

Last Monday, I delivered a lecture on zoom for the participants of the History Club. I built the speech titled "The Place of Geography in the European Middle Ages: Mathematical Geography on the Eve of the Age of Discoveries" on the first three chapters of my manuscript, "The Enchanting Encounter with the East: Breaking the Ice between the Latin West and the Far East". You can read those extracts 

https://www.academia.edu/39779482/What_If_the_Earth_is_the_Sphere

https://www.academia.edu/39924577/How_to_Measure_the_Earths_Circumference

https://www.academia.edu/39993075/How_Long_Spans_the_Inhabited_World

Some listeners wanted to read the entire book. I explained that unfortunately, it is unpublished though I downloaded 14 chapters out of 29 on my page on the Academia site

https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael?from_navbar=true

The rest will appear throughout the next year. The chairman of the meeting suggested that I should publish my articles on their institute's site. I am checking this opportunity.  

I am preparing an extract from a new book for Academia Letters, a new journal for researchers. The passage concerns the comparison between galleys and sailing ships. The topic was presented many times but I hope to have found a new approach. My last attempt was rejected because I attached an illustration from Wikipedia. Somehow the editors did not like it. I learned my lesson: no photos! I am hopeful that they will send me reviews from other contributors and I will see if I can count on publication. 

Beyond the Pillars of Hercules

My old paper is about the significance of free shipping through the Strait of Gibraltar and its impact on the rise of the West during the "Little Age of Discovery" (late 13th century - 14 century). The article has been modified,  re-edited, and offered for Discussion. You can view it https://www.academia.edu/42166248/Beyond_the_Pillars_of_Hercules

as well as read my other 25 articles on the author's page https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael?from_navbar=true

The Strait of Gibraltar received a bad name because of precarious conditions for navigation and the Muslim blockade of the Christian vessels. The convenient ports of the Strait--Algeciras, Gibraltar, and Tarifa--were unavailable for rival ships. Castile's persistent struggle for the takeover of these havens went on and off for over two hundred years. Meanwhile, the Genoese mariners had signed special agreements with the Berber authorities and ventured into the Atlantic, making way to North Europe and West Africa.

I have also modified my profile on the Academia page concerning my status, achievements, and plans.

I have nearly completed my plan to offer my previous articles for Discussions. Most of them are taken from my manuscript "The Enchanting Encounter with the East" and from another project about the search for the maritime route to India. There is only one paper left. From September 2021, I am going to upload new articles.

 I received an invitation to read a lecture based on my articles about medieval geography. The lecture will be delivered in Russian by zoom for the Historical club in Israel on August 16th. It is based on the first three chapters of my second book:

1) What if the Earth is the Sphere?

2) How to Measure the Earth's Circumference?

3) How Long Spans the Inhabited World?

All these papers with illustrations are available on my author's page on the Academia.

Have a nice time. Stay tuned. I wish you good health in those troubled times.