A collection of papers contributed by the members of the Scandinavian Maritime History Working Group
with a preface by Basil Greenhill, Director of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.This is the first time a comprehensive selection of the reports of members of this group has appeared in English. The material is wide ranging in subject matter and some of it will be entirely novel to English speaking readers not previously in contact with the fieldwork which has been going forward in all three Scandinavian countries for some years. The contents include ethnographic studies, studies in technical history, industrial archaeology, business history, social history and local industrial history, all maritime in presentation. Such matters as maritime ethnology, living tradition versus written source material, private shipping and chartered companies discussed, as are also shipbuilding traditions through the ages, learning process and boatbuilding tools, the origin of the Scandinavian plankboat (skin or wood?), the life of the sailor afloat and ashore, - the study of which also has been sadly neglected -, the development of a modern fishing village etc.
In recent years research into different aspects of maritime history has been developing rapidly in many countries. The authors of this volume hope that their studies may interest readers and inspire colleagues outside Scandinavia and give them an idea of what is going on in this field in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. There is enough work to be done in the future by all of us.