Michael Baizerman Author

 I uploaded a new chapter of my book, "The Enchanting Encounters with the East." This paper is the first part of Unit VI, The Witness in the Den. It focuses on the Catholic missions to the Far East launched during the 13th and 14th centuries. These enterprises took advantage of the new world order initiated by the Mongols. View https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael The article is available for Discussions during the nearest three weeks. You may address your remarks to my email address mikebis@yandex.com later.  The paper has received a welcoming response from Avital Heyman, an art historian and an expert in medieval visual culture.  I have made considerable progress with the draft paper on light galleys, covering Byzantine innovations,  Latin achievements, Medieval Triremes & Centerline Rudder, Horse transports, and Purpose-built galleys. The last topic left is  Displacement & Maintenance. If I don't find interesting data, I will drop it...

I have crossed a Rubicon meaning that my second book is complete.  It includes 29 chapters, to say nothing about summing-ups at the end of each of its 6 units.  The manuscript comprises over 90 K words,  hundreds of notes, and more than 30 images. 'The Enchanting Encounter with the East" tells a story of inter-cultural relations between Latin West and the Far East related from the European point of view. The scenario occurred in the Late Middle Ages when the actual dialog between the two opposite ends of the 'human planet' had become possible due to the opportunities of the Pax Mongolica. However, many European literati were still holding outdated views on the world beyond Islam and were fed by false rumors about the latest developments on the eastern rim of the known world. These legends are passed through generations until they eventually recede, giving up to the outlook based on personal experience of travelers and distinction between the sacred and the p...