The Life of the Admiral Christopher Columbus: by his Son Ferdinand [Paperback]

Benjamin Keen (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1992 | ISBN-10: 0813518016 | ISBN-13: 978-0813518015 | Edition: Revised

"The cornerstone of the history of the American continent." --Washington Irving This revised edition (originally published in 1959) of the famous biography of Columbus by his son Ferdinand was published to coincide with the Columbus quincentenary celebrations. Benjamin Keen's introduction traces the changing assessments of Columbus and his Discovery over almost five centuries, as reflected in the writings of historians, other social scientists, novelists, and poets, and shows how these assessments were influenced by varying political, social, and intellectual conditions. Keen has also revised his translation and notes to reflect new information and viewpoints. Ferdinand's book is a moving and personal document. Provoked in part by the Spanish Crown's attempts to diminish Columbus's role as discoverer, it reveals the restrained emotions of a loving son jealous of his father's honor. Ferdinand had access to all of his father's papers. At the age of thirteen, he accompanied Columbus on the last voyage and participated in many of the events he relates here. The narrative has the irrestible excitement of an adventure story: shipwreck, storms, and battles with mutineers or Indians. Ferdinand's imaginative insight into the many-faceted personality of the discoverer and his artistry with words make this biography, as Henry Vignaud has said, "the most important of our sources of information on the life of the discoverer of America." Benjamin Keen is Professor Emeritus of Latin American history at Northern Illinois University. He is the author of The Aztec Image in Western Thought (Rutgers University Press) and many other books.

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Language Notes

Text: English, Italian (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press; Revised edition (July 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813518016
• ISBN-13: 978-0813518015
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,758,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( C ) > Columbus, Christopher

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Columbus Biography a Great Read, November 12, 2010

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This review is from: The Life of the Admiral Christopher Columbus: by his Son Ferdinand (Paperback)

I ordered this book after my second grade son came from school confused about "what Columbus really did." We have so enjoyed reading exerpts together. This is a fascinating biography of Columbus written by his son. Even my seven year old was intrigued!