REVIEWS

© 2008 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2008 The Nautical Archaeology Society 421

xxxxBook ReviewsREVIEWSNAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 37.2Bilan Scientifique du Département des Recherches Archéologiques Subaquatiques et Sous-Marines 2004VARIOUS AUTHORS

160 pp., many illustrations (some colour), maps, tables

Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication,issued by DRASSM, 13235 Marseille Cedex 02,France, 2006, npg (sbk), ISSN 1249-3163

Extensive survey has produced good results on theAtlantic coasts of France in the period under reviewin this Bilan. In northern Brittany (Côtes d’Armor)impressive progress has been made: the wreck ofTréléven, late-15th/early-16th century, was recommendedfor further investigation. The report notes that, owingto the ballast pile and the sedimentation, there aregood prospects for environmental preservation atthis obviously important site. Further south, at Verdon-sur-Mer, near the mouth of the Gironde, a well-preserved wreck was investigated by machine at lowtide: tree-rings suggest the ship was built c.1550–1575.The hull-form suggests an estuary boat. This wreck isapparently not threatened, but it is hoped that aresearch excavation will take place before long. Thereare also updates on wrecks of c.1700 and later: muchof the work on the Atlantic coast has been contractedout, and financed by various regional and localfunds.

Among reports on shipwrecks in the Mediterranean,outstanding is the long piece by Hélène Bernard andothers on the late-2nd century AD site of OuestEmbiez 1, with its cargo of vessel- and window-glass,and fine wine possibly for ‘private trade’—or thecaptain’s table! A collaborative research project foundthat a sample of the raw glass found on the wreck wasquite difficult to work: certainly a valuable resultfrom that material, which is rarely found on land. InCorsica, a mid-3rd-century wreck at Porticcio hasproduced one coin each of Philip I and Philip II (AD248–9), and two marble portrait busts: one is of theelder Philip, ‘the Arab’, and the other may be hiswife, Otacilia Severa. One wonders if these could beofficial images (imagines), on their way to a provincialdestination following an imperial proclamation. Theship is partly preserved, and had other cargo, ratherscattered, notably at least 174 kilos of window-glass.Since the site is in shallow water, much frequented inthe summertime, it is hoped to pursue investigationsfurther on a long-term basis.

Franco-Italian co-operation has been important inwork on the Cala Rossa (Corsica) wreck of the 3rdcentury BC; and collaboration with commercialoperators resulted in important new discoveries in theRhône at Arles, especially a 1st-century-AD river-boat(‘Arles Rhône 3’). Another river-boat, the unusually

shapely ‘EP 1-Taillebourg’ found in the RiverCharente (western France) is an important documentfrom the mid-late Roman period (dated by C14). Theboat was re-used in bank reinforcement, close to the9th–10th century Viking base, from which moreinformation is reported here. Settlements and logboatsof every period, of course, continue to be studied inrivers and lakes right across France.

As usual, this Bilan is well-illustrated, indexed, andsupplied with a bibliography, and the names andaddress of personnel. Long may this excellent seriesprosper and continue.

A. J. PARKERUniversity of Bristol, England

xxxxBook ReviewsREVIEWSNAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 37.2The Mary Rose: The Life and Times of King Henry VIII’s FlagshipDAVID CHILDS

224 pp., numerous illustrations, mostly colour

Chatham Publishing, Lionel Leventhal Ltd, ParkHouse, 1 Russell Gardens, London NW11 9NN, UK(in association with the Mary Rose Trust), £25 (hbk),ISBN: 978-1861762672

Another popular book on the Mary Rose! It joinsAlex McKee’s King Henry VIII’s Mary Rose (1973)which describes the pioneering and tenacious workwhich led to the ship’s discovery in 1971, the sameauthor’s How We Found the Mary Rose (1982), follow-ing hot on the raising of the ship in that year andintended, quite reasonably, to ensure that his seminalrole in the early days was not forgotten, MargaretRule’s The Mary Rose (1982), a timely account fromthe perspective of the project’s chief archaeologist; andErnle Bradford’s The Story of the Mary Rose (1982),a semi-official popular extravaganza written by anindependent author with the support of the MaryRose Trust. All, except the first, were heavily illustratedwith photographs and archaeological drawings providedby the Trust, along with contemporary picturesincluding the iconic Anthony Anthony depiction ofthe ship.

So what’s new about the present offering? DavidChilds, a former Development Director of the project,has set out to emphasize the story of the ship beforeshe became a wreck—an event which, he argues, hasso dominated popular perceptions of the Mary Rosethat many people believe she was wrecked on hermaiden voyage in 1545. In fact she was built in 1509,and it is on the 36-year period between her birth anddeath that the book concentrates. The first chaptersets the scene by introducing Henry VIII as an

422 © 2008 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2008 The Nautical Archaeology Society

NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY 37.2

ambitious European monarch with (like many of hiscontinental counterparts) a penchant for ships andguns. This theme is continued by further chapterswhich explore the history of the ship in the context ofthe wider historical processes and events in which sheplayed a part. These narrative essays are interspersedwith thematic chapters about the ship and herappurtenances, illustrated mainly by finds from thewreck. ‘From Tree to Sea’ discusses the technicalitiesof building and commissioning a vessel of this type,though it lacks illustrations of structural componentsand assemblies from the ship herself, a surprisingomission given the richness and availability of thisresource. Next comes a consideration of the ship’sweaponry which (like Mary Rose herself ) was muchmodified during the course of her long life. This drawson a wide range of associated finds, from bronze andwrought-iron pieces complete with their carriages andgunnery instruments to hand weapons and theremarkable collection of archery equipment.

Childs next turns to navigation—a subject withwhich, as a former naval officer, he is clearly familiar.Here the rich resource of finds is turned to goodaccount, with special emphasis placed on evidence forthe earliest recorded use of log-and-line. However itmight have been more appropriate to illustrate one ofthe mariner’s compasses found on the wreck ratherthan the pocket compass/sundial which, although anunusual and attractive artefact, is not strictly speakinga navigational instrument. Chapters on daily life,domestic utensils, and cooking likewise makeextensive use of the many and varied finds which relateto these activities.

Two chapters—‘The Last Battle’ and ‘DrownedLike Ratten’—cover the 1545 confrontation with theFrench in the Solent and the catastrophic oversettingof Mary Rose. The book concludes with brief chapterson the rediscovery, excavation, and recovery of theship, and on the still-continuing processes of conser-vation and display. Finally, the ambitious plans for anew museum which will preserve and present the shipand her contents in perpetuity are explained.

The book is extensively and appropriatelyillustrated, most especially by the superb line drawingsof artefacts produced by the project’s unsung (anduncredited) team of archaeological illustrators. Thereis a curious lack of credit too for the artist responsiblefor the striking reconstruction of the moment ofsinking depicted on the cover and on p.179. An artistpaid to carry out work for an employer may surrenderhis or her copyright, but the courtesy of a full creditis still a reasonable expectation. Unusually and com-mendably for a popular book, the work is well butunobtrusively referenced, though the full archaeologicalreports on the ship and the armaments (Volumes 2and 3 in the 5-volume series Archaeology of the MaryRose), cited in the bibliography as having beenpublished in 2006, had still not appeared at the timeof writing this review (1 January 2008).

For all its worthy aims, and the author’s undoubteddedication to his task, this is ultimately a disappoint-ing book. Its proclaimed association with the MaryRose Trust, from which the majority of the illustrationsare derived, suggests that it is intended to be part of theproject’s ‘official’ literature, and it will doubtless be onprominent offer to the ship’s visiting public. If so, amore punchy and user-friendly production would havebeen better. Childs is not an experienced author (thisis his first full-length book) nor is he, as he so honestlyadmits in his ‘Introduction’, an expert in any of thefields he has covered. This has resulted in a disjointedand on occasion somewhat contrived text, and whilethe general design of the book is more than adequate,it is not inspired. Like the previous ad hoc andindividualistic approaches to publication which haveso far characterised popular literature about theMary Rose, this book does not do full credit to theproject’s enormous achievements. A more co-ordinatedpublication strategy, properly resourced by the Trust,is needed to ensure the timely production of anattractive, readable, and authoritative publicationcrafted by a suitably-qualified popular author supportedby expert advisers and a top-flight design team. Thepublic which has generously supported the project formore than quarter of a century, and will continuedoing so in large measure through the recent HeritageLottery grant for the new museum, deserves nothingless.

COLIN MARTINUniversity of St Andrews, Scotland

xxxxBook ReviewsREVIEWSNAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 37.2

Eighteenth Century Rigs and Rigging(revised edition)

KARL HEINZ MARQUARDT

330 pp., 1200 b&w line drawings, 72 tables

Conway Maritime Press via ANOVA, 10 SouthcombeStreet, London W14 ORA, 2003 (1993), £35 (hbk),ISBN: 0-85177-5861

Finding authentic sources for the details of rigging inalmost any period before the First World War isperhaps the biggest problem facing the serious shipmodeller. That Karl Heinz Marquardt has con-centrated on the 18th century is not because sourcesare the most difficult to find in that era butpresumably because that is the period in which mostmodel-makers choose to work. It is obvious perhapsthat information on medieval rigging would be hard tofind, although the rigging at that time was so verysimple that the study of contemporary drawings,combined with a logical deduction of what is notshown in detail reduces the problem considerably.