"Ancient Boats in North-West Europe is not a conventional narrative history of water transport [...] On the other hand, early water transport is clearly the focus of this book, dealing, as it does, with the known finds, and with other simple forms of water transport - known elsewhere and at other times - that we may yet find in the archaeological record of north-west Europe. The book's prime concern is with the technical aspects of these ancient rafts, boats and ships: the raw materials used; 'design' methods; how vessels were built; the nature of the environment in which they were used; methods of propulsion & steering; what sorts of speeds they could achieve; how close to the wind they could sail; how much cargo or how many men they could carry; how they were navigated across the trackless sea; and how landing places were chosen. Although plank boats and ships are dealt with in some detail, much emphasis is placed on rafts and non-plank boats, since these are the craft most likely to have been used in earliest times about which we know least." -- Taken from the Preface.