A study of the technological limitations of maritime traffic in the Mediterranean, seen in conjunction with the geographical conditions within which it operated.

Introduction; 1. The sea; 2. The ships; 3. Navigation: the routes and their implications; 4. The ninth and tenth centuries: Islam, Byzantium, and the West; 5. The twelfth and thirteenth centuries: the Crusader states; 6. Maritime traffic: the guerre de cours; 7. The Turks; 8. Epilogue: the Barbary corsairs; 9. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.