David Abulafia, "The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans" (Allen Lane, 2019)

Building on his 2011 work The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean, David Abulafia's latest book, The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans (Penguin, 2019), traces the history of human movement and interaction around and across the world's greatest bodies of water, charting our relationship with the oceans from the time of its first voyagers till the present day. David's research has taken him to far flung places, and challenged him to construct narratives out of not only written documents but oral histories and archaeological finds. In this interview, David joins us to discuss important themes such as globalisation, as well as his favourite anecdotes, stories and characters from the book. He also shares his thoughts on how the casual reader or budding historian might wish to approach this incredible thousand-page volume which Peter Frankopan has rightly labelled "a magisterial achievement." Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-ocean-world Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.