Sally Strange reviewed Emperor of the Seas by Jack Weatherford
Excellent balance of detail and vision
5 stars
This book takes the reader from the Mongolian steppes of the 12th century right up to the middle of the 19th. I thought I was just getting an account of Kublai Khan's attempt at building a navy to conquer southern China. I got all that and lots more, including tales not only of the founding of the Yuan and Ming dynasties but also of the Tsing, explanations of the differences between seafaring traditions of the far east and Europe, and an account of how and why China saw fit to trade with and support the fledgling American republic. All of this because the author, while offering plenty of amusing details, maintained a view of the sea and the dominance over sea routes as a lens through which to view power. Highly recommend.
This book takes the reader from the Mongolian steppes of the 12th century right up to the middle of the 19th. I thought I was just getting an account of Kublai Khan's attempt at building a navy to conquer southern China. I got all that and lots more, including tales not only of the founding of the Yuan and Ming dynasties but also of the Tsing, explanations of the differences between seafaring traditions of the far east and Europe, and an account of how and why China saw fit to trade with and support the fledgling American republic. All of this because the author, while offering plenty of amusing details, maintained a view of the sea and the dominance over sea routes as a lens through which to view power. Highly recommend.