In this stimulating and authoritative overview, the author looks from the sea to its shores - the land areas it influences through trade, naval power, travel and scientific exploration. 'This is a fine achievement that by a very wide margin displaces such general accounts of the Indian Ocean as are available. It is commedably comprehensive, covering an immensely long span of time, from the ancient world to the present, with an enviable aura of authority throughout.' - Peter Marshall, King's College London'In this stimulating and comprehensive volume, Michael Pearson traces out the history of the Indian Ocean from ancient times to the present, and shows how the ocean has knitted together its diverse communities. Whether in his evocations of ship board life, or descriptions of pilgrims and traders, Pearson makes of the Indian Ocean, for the first time in historical scholarship, a vital and lively arena of study.' - Thomas Metcalf, University of California, Berkeley 'This is a book that maritime archaeologist should find useful.' - Nautical Archaeology 'For the reader new to the subject they will provide stimulating and informative introductions ... [and] will easily win a place onthe few reading lists around the world that feature Indian Ocean studies.' - The Round Table '[Pearson's] impressive tour de force through human history ... covers a remarkably wide range of topics, he also writes very well ... The book will certainly become the standard account for this history of the Indian Ocean for some time.' - Social Anthropology Journal 'Among the literature produced on the Indian Ocean in the previous three decades, Michael Pearson's present work stands apart'. - AEJ