Useful and entertaining
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Very revealing texts, mainly drawn from the biographies written by his son and by a Spanish Court historian after his death, as well as Columbus's surviving documents. The biographies based much on primary documents which are now lost. Despite Columbus's continuous declared goals of spreading Christianity and Spanish glory, the lust for gold comes through on every page. The translator JM Cohen does feel the need at one point to draw in a less 'official' source to show explicitly how native women were treated by Columbus's men with his clear blessing. Some of the most memorable passages relate to the practices of the Carib cannibals, which I hesitate to repeat in polite company. The collection conveys clearly why historians continue to find Columbus a contradictory figure. Sometimes appearing to be ridiculously deluded, his relentless energy and driven ambition cannot fail to impress.
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Discovering the new world.
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This was a very good book overall that gave an absorbing narrative on the discovery of the Americas. Not a single trip odyssey as one would expect but a series of four voyages that resulted in the main in the discovery of Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamica and mainland America.
The textual content of the book are direct lifts from documents, books and reports written by Columbus, his son and other historic authors. It is descriptive in nature and gives a great perspective on the wonderment of the sailors and of Columbus himself as they embark on their fasinating voyages of discovery.
There are new islands, tribes, cultures, animals, crops and diseases discovered aplenty. This along with political deceit, crew rebellions, native battles and the ever present peril of storm tossed seas gives a fascinating insight into this historical period. It is best described as a boys own story of unsurpassed adventure.
The fact that Columbus was not the true discoverer of mainland America is also explained by the main man himself...but read the book to find out this detail.
I personally would have liked more biographical and historical informaton on the main characters and events covered in the book. I was left asking myself a lot of unanswered questions by the end. I felt there was scant information given outside the boundaries of the 'lifted' narrative.
Overall though this was a very good book on a series of journeys that concluded with a new world being added to the old...fasinating reading!
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Amazing. An in debt look at Columbus and hislifeBuDdaHlOvAh
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This book was excellent. It taught me so much more about Columbus and his journey's. Being a school teacher, this book sure will help me while teaching my students. I now have much more knolege on the subject.
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