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jeffwhaley's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Great read before first trip to Portugal. All though it happens long ago still very relevant to modern Portugal.
cseibs's review against another edition
1.0
Marginally interesting, but suffers from a myopically colonial point of view. There is no world context given and no acknowledgment of the lives of those who actually lived in these "discovered" lands. Because of the lack of any awareness or big picture view, it just became a rather dull recounting of sea voyages and colonial slaughter.
wescovington's review
3.0
I was expecting this book to be a bit more of an explanation of just how Portugal expanded into a empire in Asia for a relatively brief period, but turned into more of a blow-by-blow description of the numerous battles it took for the Portuguese to achieve that.
The writing was good, but I still don't have a great idea as to how Portugal went from small country in Western Europe to the first European power to take control of parts of India. I might know the mechanics of it, but I'm still not sure of the reasons.
The writing was good, but I still don't have a great idea as to how Portugal went from small country in Western Europe to the first European power to take control of parts of India. I might know the mechanics of it, but I'm still not sure of the reasons.
thejdizzler's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating look at the amazing twenty years surrounding Vasco de Gama's voyage around the Cape of Good Hope to India. Crowley really made the personalities of the various Portuguese leaders shine through and helped me to understand the attitudes of the time.
Cortes and Pizzaro's conquests for Spain in the New World were certainly impressive, but this book shows that the conquests of Albuquerque and Almeida in the east Indies was no less so.
Cortes and Pizzaro's conquests for Spain in the New World were certainly impressive, but this book shows that the conquests of Albuquerque and Almeida in the east Indies was no less so.
torneoluna's review against another edition
5.0
It's not like other books on history. Crowley succeeds in creating a very novelistic, but still wholly informative book on 15th and 16th century Portuguese colonial history in the Indian Ocean.
bjartur's review against another edition
5.0
Very good and entertaining account of Portuguese expansion and discovery during the 1500s. The author author might have benefited from a more empathetic and deeper look at the conquered people's view, though the ruthlessness of the Portuguese was well presented.
kvothesduet's review against another edition
3.0
Scrupulously researched and smoothly written — though the author is a little too comfortable lauding men we would today describe as war criminals.