Norwich covers the facts, provides emotions and motivations, occasionally discusses the primary sources and provides a great deal of commentary. For example, after noting the establishment of the Arsenal (the shipyard of Venice) and the beginnings of making separate war ships and trading ships, Norwich comments, "[o]ne of the secrets of Venice's rise to power lay in the fact that she never saw the twin necessities of defence and commerce as altogether separate." Further noting that Venetian war captains were "never averse to trading on the side" resulting in military expeditions sometimes paying for themselves. At the same time, trading ships were always ready to fight.
