Thi book covers both the technical and social aspects of maritime history. It presents an overall picture of seaborne civilizations around the world and takes into account the latest findings of research in ethnography, archaeology and linguistics. The reader is introduced to the subject in a three-dimensional manner. The book discusses traditional boat construction and design, the customary pattern of life on board and the appearance of ships in cults, myths and magic.The traditional ornamentation of ships is examined in detail (ships' figureheads, oculi paintings, masthead decorations, cer emonial paddles) as are the cutoms associated with ships (launching, luck coins, benedictions). The historical period covered by this book extends from the beginnings of the use of boats by mankind in the Palaeolithic period of Southeast Asia to the phenomenon of " simple forms" of watercraft in the age of space travel, covering sailing as a sport, the construction of model ships, training ships and the preservation of ships in museums.