Michael Pearson is Emeritus Professor at University of New South Wales, Australia. He has published widely on the Indian Ocean and among his recent books are Eyes Across the Water: Navigating the Indian Ocean and The World of the Indian Ocean, 1500-1800:  Studies in Economic, Social and Cultural History.

"It is an excellent book, addressing critical questions in maritime history concerning its spatial substance and conceptualisation. ... All the chapters are heavily annotated with rich bibliographies. ... they rather provide a solid contribution to the rapidly growing corpus of literature on the Indian Ocean World and a creative point of departure for oceanic orientations to world history." (David Ludden, The International Journal of Maritime History, Vol. 29 (1), February, 2017)

• 1. Michael Pearson, ‘Introduction: maritime history and the Indian Ocean World.’2. Philippe Beaujard, ‘The worlds of the Indian Ocean.’3. Sing Chew, ‘The Southeast Asian Connection in the First Eurasian World Economy, 200 BCE – CE 500.’4. Geoff Wade, ‘ Chinese Engagement with the Indian Ocean during the Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties (10th-16th centuries).’5. Leonard Andaya,  ‘Massoi and Kain Timur in the Birdshead Peninsula of New Guinea, the Easternmost Corner of the Indian Ocean World.’6. M.R. Fernando, ‘Continuity and Change in Maritime Trade in the Straits of Melaka in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries.’7. Rila Mukherjee, ‘ Competing Spatial Networks: Kasimbazar and Chandernagore in Overland and Indian Ocean worlds.’8. Fernando Rosa Ribeiro, ‘Two Sixteenth Century Indian Ocean Intellectuals in Goa and Malabar: Orta and Zainuddin.’9. Thomas Vernet, ‘East African Travellers and Traders in the Indian Ocean: Swahili ships, Swahili Mobilities ca.1500-1800.’