Beyond the Edge of the Sea: Sailing with Jason and the Argonauts, Ulysses, the Vikings, and Other Explorers of the Ancient World

by Mauricio Obregón

The story of Jason and the Argonauts and Homer's tales of Ulysses' wanderings are among the greatest of the ancient epics, but they are not merely fiction. Following the clues in the classical texts, Mauricio Obregón here maps the likely routes of these adventurers and reveals the remaining traces of the things and places they describe, re-creating the geographical discovery of the ancient world.

Obregón takes us with him on his reenactments of the hazardous adventures of Jason, sailing east along the coast of the Black Sea, and of Ulysses, sailing clockwise around the Mediterranean. These voyages map the two major seas of the ancient era and help us understand how the Greeks viewed their world — including the many startling deductions they were able to make about it (such as the circumference of the earth) from what today seems like limited knowledge.

Obregón has also traced the voyages depicted in the Norse legends, followed adventurous Muslims on southern journeys, and emulated the Polynesians who managed to traverse the seemingly limitless Pacific. He scrutinizes every detail of sailing in ancient times, such as the mechanics of The stars, for example, which the mariners took as their guides, were not in the positions that we see them in today, a crucial fact in re-creating past voyages.

This wonderful book contains more than forty drawings and photographs, including depictions of the explorers' ships based on the descriptions in the literature that has come down to us, the facts hidden in the fiction, from ancient times.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Travel

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty quick read. The author, Mauricio Obregon was an accomplished sailor as well as a classics scholar, and in this book he deftly retraces the most likely real routes taken by the heroes of myth in their sailing adventures. His narrative style is a bit too cut and dry for my tastes, and I feel he could have made the retelling of his voyages either more scientifically distant or more entertaining, but overall I enjoyed this book quite a bit on content alone.

Obregon's attempts to draw correlations between the Greeks and the Polynesians are a bit strained, I think. And his hypothesizing about what the Greeks dreamed, or why, doesn't really carry enough weight to seem very interesting or deep, even though the things he's proposing are; it's as if he's just blowing smoke and not even trying to convince the reader to care, let alone believe. I think that perhaps though Obregon was a daring and intelligent man, he could have used a ghost writer.

Still, this book makes for an interesting and fast read for anyone interested in either exploration or the Greek Myths.

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I most enjoyed the comparison of ancient Greek and Polynesian navigational methods. For example this passage comparing wind directions and terminology: "The Greeks and Polynesians identified directions with winds whose personality, smell, and taste the easily recognized...Out of the south, Notus raged with a fiery passion, as did Tonga, named for the Polynesians' southernmost islands and the fierce inhabitants."

[Jordan Bartlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet wee book that anchors the ancient myths on real-world shores. Obregon brings the ancient world to life and the little fun facts sprinkled throughout were fantastic. Loved the maps, loved feeling like I was sailing in the wake of Odysseus. Would recommend for anyone with a hunger for the horizon and an eye for ancestral wisdom

[thisbeesknees · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an unexpectedly cool read. Am not sure when or even why this book made its way onto my bookcase but I’m glad it did. Such a fascinating bringing to life of the ancient texts and at least giving a convincing argument for their being as filled with facts as fantasy.

[Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting, short read about some historical sailing cultures. The author uses primary sources and his personal experience as a sailor to describe the real-life navigational feats that the adventures of Jason, Odysseus, and Maui could be based on.

[Patrick Evulet · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a playful dance between mythology and navigational history in this book! Really enjoyed it, and I’m sending it out to at least one other person.

[Steve]

I always thought that the story of Jason and the Argonauts/Golden Fleece was pure myth but author Obregon shows via following Jason's geographic trail that at the very least the locations and nautical meanderings were indeed historical. Amazing. As are Obregon's musings on history, mythology and ancient mariners.

[Fishsanwitt]

stamped

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slightly rambling snapshots of sailing routes of mostly the ancient Greeks.

[Julien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting idea but weak delivery. The concepts are not well explained, the facts are not checked (some of them are plain wrong) and the writing is poor.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at ancient sailors. I liked the comparison between Greek and Polynesian sailors but wish there had been a bit more about the Polynesians.

[Alana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mauricio Obregon is full of crap.

[C]

As reviewers promised, this book was florid with description. Due to its double focus, it was not entirely helpful in my research, but did contribute to general ship knowledge.

[Tricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dry. Like toast!