The Mediterranean is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. In fact, as I write this my sister and brother-in-law are enjoying a cruise there! It’s filled with history that still impacts us today: the early democracy of Greece, all of the Biblical writings and events, the huge impact of the Roman Empire. And I haven’t even mentioned the writings of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Homer … the Ottoman Empire … the great Egyptian dynasties … the Spanish Empire … the Crusades … or the birth of the Renaissance. It’s an amazing place.

The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean by Davi Abulafia captures much of this. By necessity the book is long at 816 pages, but the Mediterranean demands such a history. There is so much to tell and the stories have cast such long shadows today, that condensing it would be a disservice.

One of the things I found interesting is that Abulafia writes that he is trying to tell the story of the Sea. As he put it, most histories of the Mediterranean actually look at what happened on the land. But his book focuses more on how this great body of water played a key role in history. Thus there is a lot of emphasis on sea faring trade, naval battles, migration of peoples, and the exchange of cultural norms in the midst of all that.

That’s not to say this book is for sea lovers only. It covers it all, from the importance of certain food groups to the development of the arts. It has flaws, of course, one being that it seems to take on way too big of a challenge. But it’s still an impressive work.