A few notes about the scope of this exploration and the methodology used to conduct it may be helpful to the reader. First of all, this is not an in-depth examination of Norman naval organization and infrastructure in the Mediterranean. The sources to permit such an investigation simply do not exist. Instead, I have focused on what the sources can tell us about Norman naval operations and expansion under the House of Hauteville. What little information that can be inferred from the sources on the nature of the Norman fleets themselves, I have provided in Appendix A.

Secondly, I have adopted an essentially narrative approach to convey the results of my research, because I hold the strong conviction that the facts found can only be appreciated within the context of the wider Norman narrative. Again, this conviction is inspired by the belief that nothing happens in isolation on the great arena that is the Mediterranean. Every occurrence must be related to the events that it affects and that are affected by it. Therefore, my analysis of the facets of Norman naval power has been interwoven into a chronological history of the Normans in the Mediterranean. Accordingly, the study concentrates on political and military aspects.

Thirdly, in order to make the work more appealing to a wider audience, I have quoted from established English translations (duly documented), known for their readability. Where I believed a more precise translation was necessary, I have provided my own. For those who wish to translate Latin and Old French passages themselves, I have furnished the original text in the footnotes.