Michael North provides an impressive overview of more than 3000 years of world maritime history. He describes humanity's struggle with the challenges and dangers of the oceans and highlights the opportunities they present. Transporting goods and becoming wealthy or experiencing existential hardships and losing everything, utilizing new military options, and extending power over continents—these have all been and continue to be linked to the mastery of seafaring, the art of shipbuilding, navigation, and control over sea routes. Last but not least, the sea also serves as the natural space of globalization, as we are made painfully aware every day by the refugee flows as well as by the ruthless destruction of this unique habitat—processes that no one can turn a blind eye to.