{"product_id":"a-naval-history-of-the-middle-east-500-2020-9781804512340","title":"A Naval History of the Middle East: 500-2020","description":"\u003ci\u003eA Naval History of the Middle East, 500-2020\u003c\/i\u003e examines how sea power impacted on a wide range of nations. But just what is \"the Middle East?\" The editors' definition is broad, ranging from Morocco to Iran, and the Black Sea to the Indian Ocean. Our start point connects readers to the last war between the Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Iran, results of which benefit the rapid expansion of Islam.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNaval force originally came from warships propelled via oars and sails. These protected sailing ships used to transport soldiers or supplies. Combat mainly involved missile fire and boarding actions. As human rowers pulled the oars, strategy focused on securing food and water. Ships did not carry much of either, and needed frequent resupply.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePorts were prizes of great value, their control allowing admirals to advance, or halt an opponent whose crews seldom had more than a few days of water. Galley warfare had been this way since ancient times, but changed as new technologies like \"Greek Fire\" added new military options, or larger sailing ships extended storage capabilities, thus expanding an admiral's reach.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough early Muslim fleets did not have the naval traditions of the Byzantines, their leaders recognized the value of sea power. One might remember that \"admiral\" comes from Arabic. Muslims fought each other, along with their traditional Byzantine opponents and European volunteers serving during the Crusades.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFighting ranged from fleet actions to amphibious operations, and piracy. Both Muslim and Christian pirates operated across the Mediterranean and Red Seas, plus the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. Pirates continue to operate in the 21st Century.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMajor change comes from Ottoman naval expansion in the 1500s. This was also a period of technological innovations with gunpowder weapons and larger sailing vessels supplanting boarding actions and galleys. Steam power, ironclads, torpedoes, aircraft, and missiles speed up these trends during the 19th and 20th Centuries.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe tell this story with a historical overview, supported by specific case studies. Our goal is to show Middle Eastern powers successfully employed navies to enforce national goals, and that powerful traditions support a continuation of naval forces in the 21st Century.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChapters of the book are as follows: \u003cbr\u003eIntroduction: A Naval History of the Middle East (John Dunn)\u003cbr\u003e1 East Roman Naval Warfare and the Military Treatises (Ilkka Syvanne (Syvänne\/Syvaenne))\u003cbr\u003e2 The Italian Maritime Republics and the Struggle for the Crusader Coast in Outremer, 1095-1192 (Sebastian Bartos)\u003cbr\u003e3 Rotting Ships and Razed Harbours: The Naval Policy of the Mamluks (Albrecht Fuess)\u003cbr\u003e4 Nader Shah and Persian Naval Expansion in the Persian Gulf, 1700-1747 (Michael Axworthy)\u003cbr\u003e5 The Egyptian Navy of Muhammad Ali Pasha, 1805-1848 (John Houghton)\u003cbr\u003e6 Anarchy in the Archipelago: Piracy during the 1897 Greco-Ottoman War (Leonidas Mylonakis)\u003cbr\u003e7 The Turkish Navy of the Early Republican Era, 1923-1952 (Serhat Güvenç)\u003cbr\u003e8 Building a Navy from Scratch in Just a Decade: The Abu Dhabi Experience,1966-1976 (Athol Yates)\u003cbr\u003e9 Changes in the Israeli Navy's Strategic Concept from Its Inception to 2019 (Eyal Pinko)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Helion \u0026amp; Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/21\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781804512340\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 270","brand":"John P. Dunn,Donald Stoker","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51948702302389,"sku":"9781804512340","price":46.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_976f2942-111a-43dc-8c85-40c1db1a946e.jpg?v=1762272413","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/a-naval-history-of-the-middle-east-500-2020-9781804512340","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}