Over the Edge of the World
Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe
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4.5 • 181 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
“A first-rate historical page turner.” —New York Times Book Review
The acclaimed and bestselling account of Ferdinand Magellan’s historic 60,000-mile ocean voyage.
Ferdinand Magellan's daring circumnavigation of the globe in the sixteenth century was a three-year odyssey filled with sex, violence, and amazing adventure. Now in Over the Edge of the World, prize-winning biographer and journalist Laurence Bergreen entwines a variety of candid, firsthand accounts, bringing to life this groundbreaking and majestic tale of discovery that changed both the way explorers would henceforth navigate the oceans and history itself.
Now updated to include a new introduction commemorating the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s voyage.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Bergreen, who has penned biographies of James Agee, Louis Armstrong, Irving Berlin and Al Capone, superbly recreates Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan's obsessive 16th-century quest, an ill-fated journey that altered Europe's perception of the planet: "It was a dream as old as the imagination: a voyage to the ends of the earth.... Mariners feared they could literally sail over the edge of the world." In 2001, Bergreen traveled the South American strait that bears Magellan's name, and he adds to that firsthand knowledge satellite images of Magellan's route plus international archival research. His day-by-day account incorporates the testimony of sailors, Francisco Albo's pilot's log and the eyewitness accounts of Venetian scholar Antonio Pigafetta, who was on the journey. Magellan's mission for Spain was to find a water route to the fabled Spice Islands, and in 1519, the Armada de Molucca (five ships and some 260 sailors) sailed into the pages of history. Many misfortunes befell the expedition, including the brutal killing of Magellan in the Philippines. Three years later, one weather-beaten ship, "a vessel of desolation and anguish," returned to Spain with a skeleton crew of 18, yet "what a story those few survivors had to tell a tale of mutiny, of orgies on distant shores, and of the exploration of the entire globe," providing proof that the world was round. Illuminating the Age of Discovery, Bergreen writes this powerful tale of adventure with a strong presence and rich detail. Maps, 16-page color photo insert. (On sale Oct. 14)
Customer Reviews
Very insightful
Very well written and fascinating book. The author does a superb job of narrating the journey while providing a great history lesson to boot. I honestly did not know a lot about Magellan's journey, but found myself captivated throughout.
Delightful Story of Exploration
Great story that proved fascinating on so many levels; the character of Magellan, alternately courageous and persistent but flawed, the descriptions of life on the ships, the clash of European and native cultures, the geography of circumnavigating the globe, the economics of the spice trade, etc. Great read.
Over The Edge
Brilliantly researched. A book more about Pigafetta, the chronicallar than Magellan. Was spellbound by the story with all of its hazards the sailors had to endure and their continuous discoveries. Just a great job of combining all the previous research about Magellan and making it an easy to read book.