Acknowledgment
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Acknowledgment
Cradle of many civilizations and of three monotheistic religions, the
Mediterranean is at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia Minor. In fact, the
millions of inhabitants of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea iden-
tify themselves as “Mediterranean” rather than Spanish, Turk, Greek, Lebanese,
Tunisian, or French. The importance and fascination of this “Lake” is such that
French historian Fernand Braudel (1902–85) devoted volumes to its stu