Product Description

This thrilling adventure narrative recreates the epic, never-before-told story of Columbus's fourth and final journey to the New World--a voyage that was by far his most dangerous, unexpected, exhilarating, and consequential.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90070 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From Publishers Weekly
"For a guy who's been dead five centuries," says Dugard, "Columbus was very much a physical presence as I wrote this book." The author's Columbus—who engages in swashbuckling deeds of derring-do as he explores the Caribbean and Central America in his fourth and final voyage (1502–1504)—is a guy's guy. Spurning views of Columbus as a harbinger of genocide, Dugard (Into Africa, etc.) senses virile, visionary boldness, a man "fuelled by focus and challenge." Unsullied by too much modern scholarship, this book is at heart a recasting of Washington Irving and Samuel Eliot Morison updated to appeal to readers of GQ and Sports Illustrated (for which Dugard has written). His is a sexy tale: Columbus flirts with the (much romanticized) queen Isabella; nautical mapmaking is "one of the world's sexiest new occupations." In a text that idolizes navigation skills, there are some geographical slipups (Syria isn't near the site of the Suez Canal), and petty-minded linguists will wonder about Dugard's translations ("La Huerta," for instance, is not "special garden"). Historians might puzzle over the claim that Granada was the "only vestige" of the Moorish invasion (Islam continued to be practiced widely in Spain until the early 16th century). But for those who enjoy exciting descriptions of shipwrecks, bloodshed, shark-infested waters and storms from hell, this may be beside the point. 2 maps. Agent, Eric Simonoff. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–Dugard's compelling account of European history in the concluding years of the 15th century is chock-full of the intrigue and manipulation that underscored various monarchies' race to control the world. Columbus is presented as a man of courage and perseverance who unwittingly became caught up in the various treacheries of the more political players around him. Along with Columbus and his family, Dugard introduces readers to such contemporaries as Vasco da Gama, Amerigo Vespucci, and Alonso de Ojeda. With its blend of adventure and intrigue, and its comprehensive character development, this book is highly readable, thoroughly enjoyable, and an excellent addition to any high-school biography collection.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Things fell apart for Christopher Columbus after 1492. At his nadir, he was manacled and returned to Spain for alleged misgovernment of Hispaniola, the colony he founded. This is the entry point for Dugard's chronicle of the explorer. Instead of the dungeon or worse, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella gave Columbus a new fleet and sanction to realize, once and for all, his ambition to blaze a westward route to China. Lasting from 1502 to 1504, this fourth and final voyage becomes, in Dugard's rendition, a vivid tally of adventure replete with maritime hazards, war with Indians, a shipwreck, a mutiny among the crew, and an astounding rescue mission. With apt details, Dugard re-creates the terrors and discomforts of the expedition, which coasted along Central America and ground to a halt in Jamaica. Instead of the ideological symbol he is viewed as today, Columbus emerges from Dugard's energetic narrative as totally human--imperfect and bent with arthritis yet still a charismatic mariner who will keep historians employed and readers reading. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

It really is an epic tale..
Martin Dugard knows how to write well. This is a gift not all historians have. The notes section is helpfull to readers who are interested in further study. Dugard has traveled to the obscure regions he descibes. I only gave it four stars because I would have loved to see pictures of the sites he descibes (although I am aware that would have raised the cost). I knew some facts about Columbus. His religious zeal. His son's first hand account. I have seen Ridley Scott's "1492" (which I enjoyed). However I did not know anything about this "Fourth Expedition". I have read Manchester's account of Magellan, which I found very interesting (and I intend to read Bergreen's Bio of Magellan next) however this tale is simply amazing. The title says it all. Amazing tales of storm and divine retribution (I won't give it away). Such was the strain of the mission that heroes became conspirators (these were no "Conquistadors"..for that, see Gov. Ovando). I will always remember the name of Diego Mendez (somebody I had never heard of until now). The fate of the convoy of Bobadilla is a tale you have to read to believe. I am going to hunt down Dugard's book "Into Africa" and his work on Captain Cook. I cannot recommend this book more highly.

Fantastic page turner
Wow. I learned so much from this book and enjoyed every page of it. If I were in the movie business, I'm be optioning the rights on this puppy for a movie with Harrison Ford as Columbus in a heartbeat.

Yes, so we all know the general outline of the 1492 story. And we know some vague details that Columbus never found the western route to the orient. But Dugard brings this to life and puts in fascinating details about life at sea, the struggles Columbus and the crew faced, and just what really did happen to bring an end to Columbus' great career.

Dugard's writing style is fantastic as is his approach. He doesn't try to mis-apply 20th (or 21st) century morality onto Columbus' actions, he's good at interpreting Columbus behavior in the right temporal light. He doesn't seek to justify or crucify Columbus, just to tell a great adventure story. The best fiction writers would have a hard time beating the twists of fate, politics, action, and tension of this real life drama.

I also found this book especially interesting having recently read James Reston's excellent "Dogs of God." Dogs of God sets the stage very nicely to better understand Spain's politcal and religious climate at the time as well as the events leading up to Columbus' first voyage.

Having read this, I'm anxious to read some of Dugard's other writing, possibly his "Surviving the Toughest Race on Earth" next.

Focused and Satisfying

Dugard avoided innumerable potential tangents to give us the benefit of his research into this last voyage.

I learned that info and mis-info about CC is not just a modern phenomenon. CC had a lot of enemies, and Dugard outlines a few, who benefited from having chaos surround his name. Dugard gives us facts.

You can certainly conclude that CC's skills as a mariner are unparralled for his time. His land administration skills, seemingly leave a lot be be desired, but his peers failed as well.

I lost count, but after the battles with native people, low supplies and the civil war of his crew, he still had 100 of the orginal 140 crew alive. This in itself is a pretty heady accomplishment.

He must have been a total optimist in his expectation that help would arrive in Jamaica. I would have lost faith after not too many months, but he was right.

There are many heroes here who certainly deserve treatment of their own. One very intriguing character is Mendez. His stealth capture of the native king is amazing as his rowing to Santo Domingo, particularly in light of how badly the mutineers failed in an identical mission.