Description
Book SynopsisIn British shipping in the Mediterranean Katerina Galani investigates the impact of the French and Napoleonic wars on British maritime economic activity. Due to the close cooperation of the public and private sector at sea, the British adopted flexible business strategies to mitigate economic warfare and sustain shipping and trade in the Mediterranean. The book offers a comprehensive approach by combining the study of international relations, ports, ships, business organisation, deep-sea voyages and intra-Mediterranean navigation. Katerina Galani conceptualises the Mediterranean as an economic entity and she insightfully examines, for the first time, free traders along with the chartered Levant Company. Her analysis draws upon a unique collection of British and Mediterranean sources to construct a multifaceted view of British maritime activity.
Trade Review'[...] the sources for this book, and how they are employed, are a major strength, which alone renders the volume an essential addition to the study of merchant shipping within the Mediterranean Sea. Galani uses primary evidence from a variety of British, Greek and Italian archives, supplemented by and integrated with the relevant secondary literature. This is an important step forward in a revision of our understanding of British trade and the development of regional merchant shipping in the Mediterranean, in the era of transition to modern shipping business through the later eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It is written for an academic audience and will be of interest not only to maritime historians but also to those studying economic, transportation, and social history.' Thomas Malcomson, in: The Mariner's Mirror, 104:2 (2018), 235-237. 'Among the recent works on the British in the Mediterranean, Katerina Galani’s is possibly one of the most enjoyable. [...] a work that is a pleasure to read, with a very clear writing style and swift prose. [...] the book is appealing for a wide range of interests, from imperial to global history, from economic to social history, and to economic geography. It provides food for thought for future research into the maritime and economic history of the Mediterranean [...]. I agree with the author that this work will become a springboard for future research on the Mediterranean, as she enriches recent historiography that revaluates the role of the region in the modern history of trade. She highlights how the Mediterranean was always of crucial importance for understanding British imperial power as we know it. I cannot but agree that the Mediterranean should be given more attention in the historiography, particularly as there is a need constantly to remind ourselves of the primary role played by old and established markets in strengthening the British economy and the nation’s power. This book conveys a powerful message and I would recommend it to advocates of a future global Britain.' Giada Pizzonie, University of Warwick, in: Economic History Review, 71, 4 (2018), 1418-1419.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Note on Names of Places 1 Introduction The “Extended Mediterranean” in the 19th Century Structure of the book 2 The End of the ‘Long 18th Century’ in the Mediterranean: An Overview Introduction The Mediterranean and the British Empire The Actors: The British Navigating the Mediterranean: The Market Scope The Co-actors: Foreign and Local Carriers Conclusion 3 Charting British Sea Routes in the Mediterranean Introduction Lloyd’s List as a Historical Source Some Methodological Remarks The Evidence on British Shipping An Increase in Shipping: Causality and Interpretations 4 British Shipping on the Micro-Scale: From Long-Distance to Short-Distance Hauls Introduction British Shipping at the Port of Livorno Sea Routes: Livorno’s Involvement in Intra-Mediterranean Hauls Between Grand Traffic and Short-Distance Shipping: The Passengers Conclusion 5 An Age of Transition for British Shipping: Institutional and Organisational Shifts Introduction Shipping in the Early Modern Era Institutional Changes: A Step towards the Systematisation of the Industry Changes in Everyday Business: Specialisation Conclusion 6 How Profitable a Business was it After All? Introduction Earnings The Cost of Shipping The Ship The Organisation of Shipping The Crew Conclusion 7 Levant Company: The Institutional Branch of British Shipping in the Levant Introduction The Levant Company: Its Operation The State of the Company’s Shipping and Trade in the Late 18th Century Free Traders and the Monopolistic Company Conclusion 8 Conclusion Appendices Bibliography Index
