History of Merchant Shipping and Ancient Commerce 4 Volume Set

The shipowner and politician William Schaw Lindsay (1816-77) combined a wealth of personal experience with a meticulous approach to research. Originally published in 1874-6, this is his authoritative four-volume history of the world of ships and maritime trade.

Its coverage ranges from the legend of Noah's Ark, through ancient commerce and the colonising expeditions of the middle ages, to the progress brought about by the introduction of steam to the shipping of Lindsay's own day.

Details on construction and performance sit alongside explanations of the customs and superstitions of seamen, complemented by full accounts of many important nautical events.

The volumes encompass shipping in the ancient world, the foundation of a royal and commercial navy in England, Christopher Columbus's voyages of discovery, Vasco da Gama's expeditions, the Spanish Armada, Cromwell's Navigation Acts, and the rise of steam propulsion.

Evident throughout the work are Lindsay's practical knowledge and enthusiasm for his subject.