Appeared in Print

 My second book, "The Enchanting Encounter with the East," has appeared in print and was published by AuthorHouse UK. I feel elevated and relieved. I hope I have improved the content through careful editorship, and my readers will enjoy traveling across the pages.

My book is set in the European Middle Ages, and its main characters are Latin scholars who had imagined the lands and people of the Far East long before they set off to visit them. 

There are four main topics that I focused on while writing. The first one is geography: how come that geography being of trivial importance for Latin academics, had gained traction and invited travel? 

The second one is history. Who were the horrible Tartars who had nearly conquered western Europe in 1241-1242, where did they spring up, and what would they do next? 

The third one is mythology. I picked up two medieval legends: Alexander Barrier and Prester John. I researched the development of these tall tales and showed how they were incorporated into history, for good or bad. 

The fourth one is ethnography. European travelers visited Mongolia, India, and China. What did they learn about the Far East, with its fascinating sights and sounds? What did they carry on from this beautiful encounter?

The circle of the readers of this blog has broadened and hit 6 K viewers. I can't think of a better gift for you all than sending you to my site, https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael, where you can find most chapters of my second book. I will continue uploading other chapters except for conclusions. 

In my third project, I have reached the stage where I can arrange my notes for the first part of Chapter 2, The Slender Giants of the Wine-Dark Sea. In this part, I deal with light galleys. I continue researching adjacent topics, such as horse transport galleys and the warships' life expectancy. I must also study the other seven files I have collected about battle galleys. 

I have read a fascinating book recently: J. Marteilhe, Galley Slave. (Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing, 2010). These are memoirs of a former galley slave, a French Huguenot, who was sent to French galleys for his ill-favored attempt to escape from his homeland, where his religion was not tolerated. He served many years on galleys of Dunkirk and those of Marseille. What struck me was that such injustice and ignorance were widespread in France even at the beginning of the 18th century. 

The Mysterious Letter

I have just started a discussion on my latest paper 

https://www.academia.edu/82514995/The_Mysterious_Letter

This chapter from my book, "The Enchanting Encounter with the East," continues the exploration of the popular character (Prester John) and his impact on multiple fans worldwide. I invite you to take part in the debates. 

In the abstract, I wrote: "The mysterious letter penned by the elusive potentate, Prester John, became the talk of several European royal courts. The writer invited heads of state to visit his fascinating country abounding with marvels and wonders. The audience was divided between enchantment and skepticism, leaving nobody lukewarm". 

Meanwhile, I devoted much time to developing my current topic: the evolution of war galleys in the medieval and renaissance Mediterranean. I think I have found a reference point, the Byzantine fleet, especially its ebb and flow between the sixth and the eleventh centuries.   

The rise of the Italian fleets hangs on an extraordinary discovery: placing the two rowers side by side on one bank of oars instead of positioning them in two tiers is more practical. Some researchers do not distinguish between the two meanings: in Byzantine dromons, all oarsmen sat on two levels, whereas in Italian galleys, each pair occupied the same bench. Both watercraft are called biremes, but the difference allowed the latter to have the edge over their rivals and paved the way for all other fleets, Christian or Muslim, to follow. 

Another interesting note concerns the visibility of sailors at sea. Byzantine experts advise putting reconnaissance ships in front of the fleet, at three and six miles. At such a distance, sailors could communicate by signaling with flags. This gap is more important than overall visibility from the masthead, i.e. about 12 miles. The issue was how to convey this info to other vessels in the shortest possible time. 

I chose three books that I need to reread before making headway. The first is JOHN H. PRYOR & ELIZABETH M. JEFFREYS, THE AGE OF THE DROMON. In a book for specialists, I skipped many pages but there is a pleroma of useful notes and citations. The second is Angus Konstam, Peter Dennis, and Peter Bull, Byzantine Warship vs Arab Warship. This is a popular book with useful conclusions concerning the interaction between hostile fleets. The last one is Charles D. Stanton, Medieval Maritime Warfare. A resourceful book with many insights that I can apply to different events and situations. I hope that when I finish reading these books, I will have a better view of the subject.

 

The Slender Giants of the Wine-Dark Sea

 

A model of a sixteenth-century Maltese galley

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galley 

This is the title of the second chapter of my new manuscript. To put it simply, it is about war galleys in the Mediterranean. I have entered the stage of assessing and developing data. It will take a long time, and I will probably write several blog entries concerning this topic. Why does it take so long?

The chapter will have at least four divisions: light galleys, the monster galley, the intricacies of naval warfare, and the shipborne artillery. For each section, I need to read the collected data, decide on its relevance, and write what I call "scraps," i.e., a memorable phrase, sentence, or a paragraph attached to that piece of info. I also need to check the details. For example, one source says that Ottoman shipwrights produced inferior galleys because they used "green" timber (unseasoned wood). An extraordinary claim that may need an additional quest. What was wrong with the Ottoman shipyards? 

Another issue is about the practice of tying the galleys with cables or iron chains to form a battle line. War galleys were trained to be arrayed in battle formations. Bonding the vessels together would hinder any maneuvers, which spelled disaster during a naval battle. Some of them might run aground or be unable to prevent a boarding attack. I even read a paper saying that it is fake news written by landlubbers, mostly sometime after the events. However, when galleys fought in a static position (in narrow confines), blocking the enemy's advance was more critical than maneuvering. I need to review the cases when these tactics took effect.  

I also reject the claim that medieval and renaissance war fleets could control the sea, neither the entire Mediterranean nor any of its water bodies, i.e., the Adriatic or the Aegean. An observer from the crow's nest elevated at several meters could watch a few miles ahead, and even scout ships could provide reconnaissance within 20 nautical miles. Many water expanses were infested with pirates. On the other hand, they didn't need to control the sea. Narrow straits can be monitored with the navy, and the war fleet provided with good intelligence could predict the enemy's movement along conventional sea lanes. Let's remember that galleys would not sail direct voyages but had to stay close to the shoreline. 

I have collected a mountain of info and sometimes need to navigate between too specific data that might not interest my reader and very superficial, widely known data. 

Meanwhile, I will continue reading books devoted to  Mediterranean shipping and naval warfare to grasp various approaches to the theme. 

Galley Proof Revisited (1)

The galley proof reviewing is over.   Arduous work, I must tell, that squeezes the brain almost to the boiling point. There are some last-minute changes that I want to include. I also reviewed 44 illustrations and changed those not in the public domain. I got several permissions, but it was not easy. Not everybody replied to my letters; sometimes, the correspondents wanted money for their consent. 

Meanwhile, I uploaded another chapter, The Shadow Crusader: Otto of Freising.

 https://www.academia.edu/79701738/The_Shadow_Crusader_Otto_of_Freising

The advent of Prester John in official history, with a German chronicler Otto von Freising acting as the ruler's "godfather." The chapter describes the contradicting nature of the literary character.

My audience has grown to 7 K readers, and when I complete uploading the remaining chapters from my second book, it may reach 8 K. These good tidings prompted me to continue my quest for a literary agent. I need a mediator who can connect me to a traditional publisher since I hate the idea of paying for the publication of my books. Whether I succeed or not, this effort exposes my work to more people and aids in building a powerful platform. 

Meanwhile, I reverted to collecting material for my third book. I pick up tips about medieval and renaissance warships, i.e., light galleys. I decided to reconsider the issue of binding galleys with ropes or cables as a conventional tactic of the navy. It seems a dangerous practice since vessels are prone to running aground or dashing upon each other and breaking oars. Commanders might use it as a defensive means in a narrow space. I must check who wrote about this stratagem: the participants or chroniclers with no marine background. 

I also thought about transitioning from multi-tiered ancient vessels to multi-oared but one-level medieval galleys. Vettor Fausto could not apply old technology which had long gone out of use before his time, i.e., the second quarter of the sixteenth century. He could only borrow outdated terms to transfer them to his revolutionary technology. 

I also read articles about Ancient Mesopotamia. I wonder how urbanization began. What made people settle close to each other, and how close? I want to understand the difference between the early cities, like Tell Brak in LC 2-3 [LC stands for the Late Chalcolithic], and Neolithic mega-sites (Jericho, Catal Hoyuk, and the rest). The latter seems to be isolated sites without class differentiation and labor division. 

Galley Proof Revisited

 My publishing coordinator asked me to arrange another round of galley proof. That gives me a chance to place last-minute corrections. Rereading the text provides a fresh outlook and reveals issues that might not be clear to the general public. My luck is that I use the editor program Grammarly which exposes any unclear sentence, phrase, or even a rare word that might confuse the reader. 

Meanwhile, I will continue to upload new chapters from the second book on my academia site:

 https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael

Some readers view the chapters from my first book, "The Dawn and Sunset." I think I can upload these chapters, too, though it has to wait till the following year. Each Discussion session lasts three weeks, and I don't need to hurry up. I believe that I can reach the ceiling of 10 K readers, though it might take a year or more. 

Editing the text is a headache, and I give myself time to complete my self-education. I continue reading "Trade, Piracy, and Naval Warfare in the Central Mediterranean," a dissertation about the history of Malta. I am particularly interested in the maritime endeavors of the Order of St. John and their galleys. I might use this material for my chapter about war galleys. 

I also decided to review the topic of my first book: the early cities in the Ancient Near East. I understand that there was more than one way to establish a town in the ancient world. It might be a ritual center, a trade outpost, or a manufacturing site. The success in one capacity did not exclude other ventures. 

There are additional issues that I wish to clarify. Was the full-scale irrigation connected to the rise of the early cities, especially in southern Mesopotamia? How come such cities also appeared in northern Mesopotamia, in areas with ample rainfall? Did the advent of writing usher in a historical period? What do the bureaucratic exercises of first scribes really show us?  How is the size of the city connected to its political and economic significance?

Some of these questions can take years to answer. Do not stop asking them. 

The Galley Proof is Over

 After a month's work, I wrote over 120 pages of remarks on the galley proof. I am not sure that my editor will be delighted, but I am happy. The changes I have made became possible due to Grammarly, a particular editorship program, which continues to stun me with its remarkable qualities. I especially like entangled issues when the program suggests splitting the text into more palatable sentences or avoiding the monotony of three successive simple sentences. It does not show how, making the task challenging and exciting. 

I am currently collecting data for my new project, with the working title "The Fright and Thrill of Navigation: Seafaring in the Medieval and the Renaissance Mediterranean." 

 I pick up facts and figures about war galleys, their types, and the armament. I found a fascinating book about the Byzantine navy, "The Age of the Dromon," penned by J.H. Pryor and E.M. Jeffreys. This warship was the stepping stone in developing the West European galleys. By comparing the two models, we can understand the changes in construction and performance. 

I have altered my bio on the Academia site. Now, it runs the following: 

 I am an amateur historian and independent researcher. I am keen on ancient, medieval, and early modern histories. I have authored two books, "Dawn and Sunset: A Tale of the Oldest Cities in the Near East" and "The Enchanting Encounter with the East: Breaking the Ice between the Latin West and the Far East." The former introduces a reader to the complex society built by the Sumerians and the Akkadians. In contrast, the latter tracks the expanding horizons of West European scholars in their quest for the Far East. I am currently engaged in a project studying the development of medieval and renaissance shipping in the Mediterranean.

I also decided to continue my quest for a traditional publisher. I will appeal to new agents with a redesigned query, which says:

I found your name on the list of literary agents accepting submissions in nonfiction history. I want you to represent my book, “The Enchanting Encounter with the East: Breaking the Ice between the Latin West and the Far East.” Though Authorhouse UK, a self-published agency, has already accepted this work, I would like you to find a traditional publisher.   

 “The Enchanting Encounter” follows the thorny path of European knowledge about the Far East during the end of the Middle Ages. It conveys the insatiable curiosity and enchantment that engulfed western literati as they were approaching the Orient--the land of silks and spices, facts and fiction, legends and lies. The manuscript shows how a sober global outlook replaced Eurocentric medieval fantasies.

My paper comprises almost 95,000 words and fits into the genre of non-fiction history. It will attract young adults and adult readers interested in cross-cultural relations, taking them on a guided tour of the medieval world. I hope to reach an audience including laypeople (such as college-educated history buffs and high school children) and professionals (students, teachers, and researchers). The title must also attract libraries, educational institutions, and museums. The book is a perfect gift for a friend curious about the Middle Ages and braced for learning new things.

“The Enchanting Encounter” teaches my readers to be independent and objective, to enhance critical thinking and curiosity that will assist them in various everyday situations. It also promotes individual empowerment and self-worth. My thought-provoking story presents things from several points of view without passing hasty judgments and casts an innovative look at medieval history. It is an excellent place to start re-education, launching a rational and mutually respectful debate.

Thorough investigative research set the scene for “The Enchanting Encounter.” I upload the articles, which are open for discussions by experts and the general public, on my website.

https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael

My audience is about 7000 readers from all over the world. I help promote other writers’ papers on the Academia site, a broad outlet for academic research.

I keep in touch with my readers by writing a blog http://mikebis.blogspot.com/ which has drawn about 6,000 viewers around the globe. I also contact multiple followers on Twitter and Facebook.

   I am an amateur historian captivated by ancient, medieval and early modern civilizations. I have engaged in Internet research for over 18 years and specialize in writing nonfiction history. Having grown up in Moscow, Russia, I live in Israel. I am a retired English high school teacher.

I have authored two books: "Dawn and Sunset: A Tale of the Oldest Cities in the Near East" and "The Enchanting Encounter with the East: Breaking the Ice between the Latin West and the Far East." The former introduces a reader to the complex society built by the Sumerians and the Akkadians. In contrast, the latter tracks the expanding horizons of West European scholars in their quest for the Far East. I am currently engaged in a project studying the development of medieval and renaissance shipping in the Mediterranean.

I am a well-informed autodidact who does his best to keep abreast of modern science and believes that any standpoint needs continuous critical revision. I have participated in sundry FutureLearn historical online courses given by prominent international universities to learn how to present my content to diverse audiences.

Best wishes,

Michael Baizerman 

The Galley Proof of My Second Book

 Since the end of March, I have been making progress with my galley proof for "The Enchanting Encounter with the East." 

Before making corrections, I checked each unit using my new editorial program. I redesigned many paragraphs, and the list of amendments has topped 70 pages after finishing four units out of six. I imagine my editor will be discontented. 

Next week, I will re-edit Unit V, which is the story of Prester John, and if all goes well, I will complete my task by the end of April. 

Listeners liked my lecture  "The Saga about Humankind: the View on the Habitable World during the European Middle Ages and the Renaissance." Some of them asked where they could read the book. I directed them to my Academia page, where they read 18 chapters of my second book (out of 29). The rest I will upload throughout this year. I will continue to collaborate with the Institute of Integration concerning future lectures. 

https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael

The head of the seminar asked me about the time when the Muslims declared Jerusalem a holy city for Islam. I promised to check. It is a fascinating question for a historian. In the lecture, I explained that the Christians had enhanced the role of Jerusalem since the Age of the Crusades when the Eternal City began to appear on mappae mundi, medieval universal theological maps reserved for illustration and instruction. 

One of my followers offered to be a beta reader. This is my dream to find a partner with whom I can discuss upcoming topics. In the first stage, I sent him a list of contents of my second book. He promised to look through all the chapters and give his opinion. The writer does not exist in a spiritual vacuum. He needs diverse channels to contact his readers. I hope we will work out beneficial cooperation.