THE sea, no matter how far we live from it, is, and always has been, a great influence on our lives throughout history.

It has been a very important part of an ever-changing world. It has carried explorers to open up new horizons, it has taken armies on invasions and helped the role of defenders.

It has carried people on journeys of joy and sadness and it has brought an assortment food from every corner of the world.

It has brought challenges which man has met with inventiveness, except in extreme cases when the sea has shown its tremendous power.

Lincoln Paine has written a fascinating maritime history from the earliest dugouts to the latest container ships that have altered the role of many ports and necessitated the building of special container ports.

It is a long story but the author, with skillful writing, maintains interest all the way through.