Into the Rising Sun [Hardcover]

Luc Cuyvers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

In the spirit of Dava Sobel's "Longitude" comes the story of Vasco da Gama, whose search for a sea route to the East took him and his crew on an odyssey of 27,000 miles and propelled Portugal to the forefront of international commerce and power. A companion to the PBS series of the same name. Photos & maps.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: TV Books (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575000644
• ISBN-13: 978-1575000640
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,690,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars They don't get no respect..., January 30, 2010

By 

Kungfoochimp "kungfoochimp" (Havavee) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Into the Rising Sun (Hardcover)

The Portuguese were the first to set out eastward from Europe (in the hopes of reaching Asia) in the wave of exploration and colonization which resulted in the entire earth (minus some parts of China, Thailand, etc) being under European influence. They don't get their due. This book, and its accompanying four part video series, seeks to set the record straight. I prefer the videos to the book. It's clear the book was an afterthought, but still full of interesting tales of adventure, trade, and conquest when the earth seemed much larger and mysterious. It follows the videos faithfully.

I especially appreciate the tone of this work. It applauds the Portuguese for their bravery, seamanship, and persistance, while resisting taking the increasingly popular, liberal/professorial "white people are evil" approach of Jared Diamond. It simultaneously respects those with whom the Portuguese came in contact with - showing how both cultures were affected by the contact.

I caught the series several years ago, very late at night on PBS. It's available on several torrent sharing sites for those who do that. If you are into history, you might enjoy it.