M. Skoblar, A. Delis-J. Ibarz-A. Sydorenko-M. Barbano and C. Wickham: suggested readings for April 2025

The editorial team of RSSM proposes some readings by authors of national and international significance that address topics related to the Mediterranean. The reading suggestions for April 2025 are: Magdalena Skoblar, Byzantium, Venice and the Medieval Adriatic, Apostolos Delis, Jordi Ibarz, Anna Sydorenko eandMatteo Barbano, Mediterranean Seafarers in Transition and Chris Wickham, The Donkey and the Boat.

Here you can find the suggestions for March 2025.

Suggested readings for April 2025: books info

The Adriatic has long occupied a liminal position between different cultures, languages and faiths. This book offers the first synthesis of its history between the seventh and the mid-fifteenth century, a period coinciding with the existence of the Byzantine Empire which, as heir to the Roman Empire, lay claim to the region. The period also saw the rise of Venice and it is important to understand the conditions which would lead to her dominance in the late Middle Ages. An international team of historians and archaeologists examines trade, administration and cultural exchange between the Adriatic and Byzantium but also within the region itself, and makes more widely known much previously scattered and localised research and the results of archaeological excavations in both Italy and Croatia. Their bold interpretations offer many stimulating ideas for rethinking the entire history of the Mediterranean during the period.

From publisher’s website.

This volume discusses the effects of industrialization on maritime trade, labour and communities in the Mediterranean and Black Sea from the 1850s to the 1920s. The 17 essays are based on new evidence from multiple type of primary sources on the transition from sail to steam navigation, written in a variety of languages, Italian, Spanish, French, Greek, Russian and Ottoman.

From publisher’s website.

A new account of the Mediterranean economy in the 10th to 12th centuries, forcing readers to entirely rethink the underlying logic to medieval economic systems. Chris Wickham re-examines documentary and archaeological sources to give a detailed account of both individual economies, and their relationships with each other.

From publisher’s website.