Book excerpt: The book is based on Arabic sources, documents in archives of centers of Levantine trade, and material from the files of the firm of Francesco Datini. From the fall of Acre to the journey of Vasco de Gama, the author provides an invaluable description of late medieval Mediterranean trade. Originally published in 1984. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.