A World in a Book

Michael of Rhodes was a Venetian seaman. During the first half of the fifteenth century he rose through the ranks in the maritime service of Venice from a simple rower on a galley to armiraio, the highest rank open to a mariner who was not also a noble. The book which is the basis of this edition falls generally into the genre of books of practical information that includes merchants' manuals, abbaco books, and the like. Michael's book is a compilation that includes such diverse topics as arithmetic, astrology, navigation, shipbuilding and even a brief curriculum vitae. It is unique among such works in surviving as a holograph. This edition by an international team of scholars is in three volumes: a photographic reproduction of the original, transcription and translation, and analytical studies. It is an outstanding example of thorough, exacting team scholarship.