Abstract
Multifaceted Maritime History, as the title of this collection translates into English, is the latest volume of the yearbook of The Maritime Museum of Finland. It is a compilation of seven articles covering a delightfully wide range of maritime history. The articles are refreshingly diverse and interestingly tangible. Photographs, diagrams, headlines and the layout of the book make it accessible and the articles themselves are in places captivating.
Temporally, the articles reach from the thirteenth century to the present, with a strong emphasis on the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. The themes can be summed up as seafarers and interaction (Reposaari rock carvings, the ‘otherness’ of Finnish seamen in nautical literature, and the history of the yacht clubs of Turku), vessels (the use of ships in the Baltic Crusades, journeys of the Finnish barque Helios, and Finland’s shipbuilding industry), and shipping (export of timber on the Saimaa Canal).
Four of the writers are doctoral students, two are teachers and researchers (one with an MA, the other with a PhD) and one writer has a BA. This is reflected in the academic quality of the articles. Although the texts have been peer reviewed, some of them do not meet the demands of an academic article. For example, some articles have long passages with no references to sources or literature. Some articles would substantially benefit from using international research literature. In many places, scientific reflection and evaluation would be required concerning for example concepts along with evaluating the significance and the position of the research.
Despite this criticism, the book is an important addition to the Finnish research in maritime history. The most creditable work is presented by PhD Sakari Auvinen and doctoral student Aaro Sahari. Auvinen’s article about the timber export on the Saimaa Canal brings to the fore an important and yet to be studied area of inland water traffic and the significance of St. Petersburg for the Finnish maritime sphere. Aaro Sahari is working on his dissertation on the history of shipbuilding in Finland. The article, focusing on the first decades of the twentieth century, is a conclusive piece of research. Sahari’s article highlights the fact that interpretation is often needed when using historical records. A skilled researcher knows how to make the most of defective source materials through critical reflection.