Attending a used book sale last week, my wife bought Over the Edge of the World, by Laurence Bergreen, which documents "Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe." She thought I might enjoy the book and, as usual, she was right. Ironically, Magellan, his 260 man crew and their five ships set off from Seville, Spain, 500 years ago this month!
Portuguese by birth, Magellan came of age during the Golden Age of Portuguese navigation, when Vasco de Gama and other mariners established trade routes to the Spice Islands (Indonesia) by sailing along the southern coasts of Africa and Asia. Convinced that he could reach that same destination by heading west (but denied funding by Portugal), Magellan turned to the King of Spain to sponsor his voyage, promising to return within two years with untold riches from the Spice Islands.
Three years later, a handful of the original crew members and only one ship (the Victoria) limped back to the Spanish Coast, devoid of riches but having proved, for the first time, that our home planet is indeed a globe. Highlights of Magellan's expedition (all from Bergreen's account), will be offered in coming posts. Having read the first few chapters to date, I highly recommend the book.
Portuguese by birth, Magellan came of age during the Golden Age of Portuguese navigation, when Vasco de Gama and other mariners established trade routes to the Spice Islands (Indonesia) by sailing along the southern coasts of Africa and Asia. Convinced that he could reach that same destination by heading west (but denied funding by Portugal), Magellan turned to the King of Spain to sponsor his voyage, promising to return within two years with untold riches from the Spice Islands.
Three years later, a handful of the original crew members and only one ship (the Victoria) limped back to the Spanish Coast, devoid of riches but having proved, for the first time, that our home planet is indeed a globe. Highlights of Magellan's expedition (all from Bergreen's account), will be offered in coming posts. Having read the first few chapters to date, I highly recommend the book.
