Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus [Paperback]

Samuel Eliot Morison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 1991

Telling the story of the greatest sailor of them all, "Admiral of the Ocean Sea" is a vivid and definitive biography of Columbus that details all of his voyages that, for better or worse, changed the world. 50 drawings, maps & charts; 4 fold-outs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 680 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 12, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316584789
• ISBN-13: 978-0316584784
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #804,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( C ) > Columbus, Christopher

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening and entertaining, March 31, 2000

By 

STEPHEN MATTOX - See all my reviews

This review is from: Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus (Hardcover)

This was one of the most enjoyable biographies I've read. The most distinguishing thing about this book of course is the fact that Morison recreated the voyages before his writing the book. This recreation lends credibility to his writing. But more than that, it makes much of the book, particularly those parts at sea, seem as if the reader is experiencing the voyages through the person of Columbus. Not only the particulars of what he saw, but the smells of land breezes, the feel of the trade winds, the motion of the boat. Morison's obvious love of the sea and of sailing work very much in his favor. Another strength is the historical perspective carefully provided by Morison. Knowing what was going on with Catholic Spain during Columbus' life (the defeat of the Moors, the expulsion of the Jews, political intrigue and conflict involving France, England, Portugal, and others) helps to explain the motivations of Columbus and his contemporaries. I was a bit wary of a 60-year old book, Pulitzer or no Pulitzer, in light of the more recent reconsiderations of Columbus. Some people would have us believe that the voyage of 1492 was some sort of original sin inflicted upon the paradise that was the western hemisphere. But in his preface, Morison makes it clear that he is concerned with Columbus, the "man of action", and is leaving analyses of his motivations to others. And at any rate, Morison's sensibilities are very much in tune with those of the year 2000. He makes few apologies for Columbus and takes him to task where warranted, particularly for his treatment of the natives. One chapter, "Hell in Hispaniola", is almost exclusively devoted to this area. One word of warning: If your knowledge of sailing isn't good, then you may want to bone up on some of the rudiments before starting this book. Morison provides an explanation of some of the terminology, but not enough for someone who knows as little about sailing as I did coming in. But please don't be put off by that - this book is a real pleasure.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great sailor's life in a biography which has aged well, December 13, 1998

By 

Rick Hunter (Malone, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus (Paperback)

Samuel Eliot Morison's Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus won the Pulitzer Prize in 1942, and does not seem the least dated 55 years later. What sets Morison's biography apart from most is that Morison himself is a sailor, and he draws on his own knowledge of ships, currents, and men to bring Columbus to life. Morison (and, through him, his reader) is constantly amazed at how good Columbus was at dead reckoning in unknown waters, and what a superb handler of ships and men he was. However, this is not a hagiography, and Morison does not shy away from Columbus' lapses in judgment (to the end, he convinced himself that he had reached the Indies) and mistakes. Six years ago, of course, was the 500th anniversary of Columbus' initial voyage, and I remember a deluge of articles and books -- mostly attacking dead white European males -- being published to note the event. I suspect that Morison's biography was roundly attacked at that time. I would be interested to dig up those books and articles to see what they say. For me, however, regardless of the current fashions or trends of scholarship, Morison's biography remains a marvelous tale, stunningly told. I recommend this book highly!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting !, July 28, 2001

By 

Frederick L. Merritt Jr. (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus (Hardcover)

I knew a fair amount about the first voyage of Columbus from the perspective of the political and the historical but very little about the voyage itself or the man Columbus. The Admiral of the Ocean Sea is an excellent source for information on all of the voyages themselves as well as the general information from a historical point of view.

Morison does an excellent job of describing the man Columbus. While many people in our own century will have a very difficult time seeing him as a man of morals due to the manner in which treated non-European people, Morison shows us a picture of a man consumed with the understanding of morality in his day. The lengths that Columbus went to attain piety are rarely taught or written of today and I found the sections dealing with these very informative.

I also found the description of the sailing vessels and of the conditions of the sailors to be quite interesting. The majority of the material dealing with sailing itself (a good part of the book) I lacked sufficient understanding to really enjoy. I know little of navigation and little of astronomy so celestial observations are bit beyond me. However I was able to understand in general terms the result (ie Columbus was off a lot or a little)

While I had learned a great deal about the dealing of later explorers with the Indians I knew little of the first explorers relations with them. Naturally what I learned about the Spaniards did not surprise me. What did surprise me was how many times traveling along the various coasts the Spaniards met with hostile locals. True most of the Indians were friendly to their own detriment but some did indeed show a little fight.

Also The Admiral of the Ocean Sea does a really good job of placing the events of the discovery of America into their proper context. The Spanish inquisition was in full swing. The Crusades were a part of recent history and the intermingling of European royal blood for political purposes was at its height.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a balanced biography of Columbus. Afterall it won the Pulitzer for a reason.