Magellan's

Author: Stefan Zweig
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: This book vividly recreates the heroic achievements of Ferdinand Magellan through numerous historical images. A solitary hero, determined to make a "monumental" impact like Columbus and others, conspired to find the rumored strait connecting Europe to the Spice Islands in Asia. For this, he "betrayed" his homeland, which did not appreciate him, and joined Spain, forging ahead into a perilous unknown. Based solely on a false rumor and a heavily flawed nautical map, he managed to win the trust of the Spanish king and many merchants, leading a motley crew toward a strait that did not actually exist, embarking on one of history's most reckless voyages. Even when his dream was crushed by the harsh reality, Magellan persisted. As a result, he not only discovered the strait connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific but also completed the first human circumnavigation of the globe, proving the hypothesis that the Earth is a spherical body. The book is filled with passionate praise for the spirit of exploration and an ode to the heroic qualities of the individual.