'[...] the sources for this book, and how they are employed, are a major strength, which alone renders the volume an essential addition to the study of merchant shipping within the Mediterranean Sea. Galani uses primary evidence from a variety of British, Greek and Italian archives, supplemented by and integrated with the relevant secondary literature. This is an important step forward in a revision of our understanding of British trade and the development of regional merchant shipping in the Mediterranean, in the era of transition to modern shipping business through the later eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It is written for an academic audience and will be of interest not only to maritime historians but also to those studying economic, transportation, and social history.'Thomas Malcomson, in: The Mariner's Mirror, 104:2 (2018), 235-237.'Among the recent works on the British in the Mediterranean, Katerina Galani’s is possibly one of the most enjoyable. [...] a work that is a pleasure to read, with a very clear writing style and swift prose. [...] the book is appealing for a wide range of interests, from imperial to global history, from economic to social history, and to economic geography. It provides food for thought for future research into the maritime and economic history of the Mediterranean [...]. I agree with the author that this work will become a springboard for future research on the Mediterranean, as she enriches recent historiography that revaluates the role of the region in the modern history of trade. She highlights how the Mediterranean was always of crucial importance for understanding British imperial power as we know it. I cannot but agree that the Mediterranean should be given more attention in the historiography, particularly as there is a need constantly to remind ourselves of the primary role played by old and established markets in strengthening the British economy and the nation’s power. This book conveys a powerful message and I would recommend it to advocates of a future global Britain.'Giada Pizzonie, University of Warwick, in: Economic History Review, 71, 4 (2018), 1418-1419.