Michael Baizerman Author

  I will leave for some time, so this post says goodbye.  Writing of a new draft goes smoothly. I completed parts 1 and 2, and have started part 3.    Part 1: The Rendezvous at Venice A: The Untimely Arrival B: The Treaty of Venice C: Mustering the Army D: In Dire Straits Part 2: The Sack of Zara   A: The Elegant Exit from the Mess B: The Departure from Venice and the Capture of Zara Part 3: The Siege of Constantinople A: A New Development B: Leaving Zara    On June 3, I will deliver a Zoom lecture  based on my article, "Latin Galleys, Horse Transports, and Purpose-Built Oared Craft: Medieval Advanced Technology in the Wine-Dark Sea." I am eagerly looking forward to sharing my insights with a broad audience. https://www.academia.edu/116455561/Latin_Galleys_Horse_Transports_and_Purpose_Built_Oared_Craft_Medieval_Advanced_Technology_in_the_Wine_Dark_Sea  Follow me on Wattpad, where I uploaded two shortened versions of m...

Dear readers,  I am deeply grateful for your unwavering interest in  this blog, even during my occasional lapses in diligence. Your support has been instrumental in the blog's success, with over 20 K views. Thank you for being a part of this journey . Since our last interaction,  I have been diligently active, contributing several insightful articles to my page on Academia. These pieces delve into various aspects of naval history, shedding new light on our understanding of the past. I am excited to share these notes with you .   https://www.academia.edu/111701661/Early_War_Galleys The following article provides detailed information about a particular craft, covering its dimensions, design, and displacement. Additionally, it comments on the craft's functions during times of warfare, peacetime, and limitations during sailing seasons. The article also discusses the craft's ability to steer at night, its operational range, speed, and how the crew is provided with wa...

 This title of a new chapter, in which I will elaborate on naval arsenals and the employment of fleets, is still in diapers. I wrote an extract about the former and began checking the material about the latter.  I realized that speaking about Mediterranean fleets needs to be more professional. Instead of referring to all naval activities at one blow, I must consider the Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Venetian, Genoese, Catalan/Spanish, and Ottoman navies. Until now, I evaluated the data about the Byzantine navy and began developing what I dub "bits & pieces." I transferred some of these "odds and ends" to the first two chapters: "A Tale of the Two Watercraft Brands" and "Early War Galleys."  I want to analyze the strategy of leading fleets and what tactics their admirals chose to implement the task instead of describing concrete battles.  I will give you a few snapshots of my studies--the first concerns Byzantine horse transports, i.e., cargo galle...