Light galleys (2)

 I  assessed the material and transformed all Bits & Pieces into one file. I labeled all the scraps and wrote a list of labels to make them functional. 

Despite many distractions, I continued developing the storyline about the light galleys. I started sowing my Bits and Pieces together to make long sheets. Indeed, there are so many topics that they will cover the whole chapter or even two chapters. The main themes, as I see them now, are:

•  the galley layout, 
• the function of the fleets, 
• naval bases, 
• the geopolitics of blue-water powers.   

My latest reading on the subject is Matthew King, The Norman Kingdom of Africa and the Medieval Mediterranean. (THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, 2018). This dissertation has enriched my  understanding of the geopolitical vision of the kingdom of Sicily, especially Roger II, who expanded his territory to include south Italy and Ifriqiya, a coastal strip in North Africa. He aimed to control east-west traffic in the central Mediterranean, i.e., the strait of Messina and the Sicilian Channel, by making Sicilian ports obligatory stopovers for shipping. 

I have attracted many readers to my latest contributions to the Academia site though my aim, to reach 10 K views, is still not at a corner. I plan to attain this goal throughout next year. 

https://www.academia.edu/84142155/The_Fifth_Crusade_or_Waiting_for_the_Train_that_Would_never_Come

https://www.academia.edu/85954261/The_Scourge_of_God

Other papers are available https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael