Ships, Seafaring and Society is a collection of twenty essays touching on the fragile, yet enduring relationship between man and the sea. Contributors discuss the effect of ships and seafaring in shaping the lives of mariners, merchants, women, and entire communities and the symbiotic relationship between society ashore and the mariners abroad.

Under the four major headings of "Ships and Fleets," "Fishing and Trading," "Community and the Sea," and "Seafaring in the Americas," articles cover such topics as "The Reconstruction of the 11th Century Serçe Liman Vessel," "The Halifax Fisheries Commission of 1877," "Doxies at Dockside," and "Black Seamen and the Federal Courts, 1789-1860." Ships, Seafaring and Society transports the reader to England, Turkey, Mexico, and beyond and offers a new look at a complex and international history.