The Ocean Reader

“Eric Paul Roorda’s selections for The Ocean Reader constitute an essential introduction to the wealth of writing—factual, fictional, and meditative; historical, experiential, and environmental—generated by people around the world throughout the course of recorded history. This volume is an essential companion for anyone interested in the story of our collective engagement with the world Ocean that touches us all.” - Lincoln Paine, author of The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World

“It's easy to pay lip service to the Ocean's vastness and its essential importance in human history. And yet, as Eric Paul Roorda notes, we still hold on to the conceit that only life on land really matters. This fabulous anthology—as deep as the Ocean itself—is a stunning compendium of materials that, for the landlubbers among us, opens up remarkably new understandings.” - Orin Starn, Professor of Cultural Anthropology and History, Duke University

"The very breadth of the selections and some of the breeziness of some of the writing keeps things on an even keel. Extra credit for including a geek’s delight that combines the absurd with a hint of the ominous: The story of how rubber duckies flung overboard in a storm proceeded to become pioneering conquerors of the Northwest Passage. The once-mythical trade route that swallowed up entire expeditions will soon become reality (and a potential trade war prize) thanks to global warming." - T. E. Lyons, LEO Weekly

"Comprising 71 percent of the planet, the oceans are undoubtedly multifaceted, as this rich collection demonstrates, further exploring how humans have interacted and changed this vast watery realm over time. Recommended. All readership levels." - JB. Richardson III, Choice

"A rich and valuable addition to anthologies of maritime writings.… A wonderful supplement for a global or maritime history course or an interdisciplinary course that explores the Ocean on its own terms." - Dr. Patricia B. Bixel, World History Connected

"The short extracts from a wide range of larger works in The Ocean Reader at times have the rapid-fire feeing of an overstuffed lecture—but it is the best kind of lecture, the sort that has its audience madly scribbling down bibliographical details to follow up on later.… It would make an excellent backbone text for an introductory classroom or a stimulating reference for researchers looking to expand their view of the Ocean." - Steve Mentz, Journal of Historical Geography

"A timely addition to a growing body of literature that seeks to historicize the world's oceans occupying an expanding 70 per cent of the Earth's surface.… Especially for individuals tasked with the difficult assignment of putting together a course on the oceans, possibly even through the ever-increasing virtual format, Roorda's reader offers an outstanding starting point." - Rainer F. Buschmann, Journal of Pacific History

"A unique addition to the burgeoning field of ocean history. . . . as a pedagogical resource, The Ocean Reader is potentially invaluable. For those who teach surveys of ocean history there is nothing quite comparable for use in the classroom." - Jack Bouchard, H-Sci-Med-Tech, H-Net Reviews