Customer Reviews

Magellan

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Kirkus Review above did not give Joyner's book justice. I've read many books on Magellan by authors such as Parr, Cameron, Hawthorne, Hildebrand, Zweig, and Silverberg, and Joyner's book provided the intricate detail that I was looking for. Joyner returned to the original sources to provide such details as the ships' rosters --- crewmembers' names, where from, job aboard, salary, etc. --- mini-biographies of key players, lists of supplies, weaponry, etc. It's far more than a biography! In reference to the book not conveying the full impact of Magellan's personality nor of the voyage, I didn't find that to be true. So many biographies of Magellan read almost as fiction, to such an extent that you can't separate fact from fiction, that it was refreshing to have a factual account, interesting, easily read and absorbed. Well done, Joyner.

When I read this book I thought I could be reading a novel, not a historical account. It is fast paced and exciting history. Whether or not you are familiar with Magellan and his first ever global circumnavigation, this is a must read for anyone interested in nautical exploration.

It has been a few years since I read Joyner's Magellan. It is well researched and is a very good read. I have lent the book to several nautical buffs who also enjoyed the book very much.

Of the several Magellan biographies I have read, I enjoyed this one the most.

I don't think the Kirkus review folks (above) could find the Straits of Magellan on a chart!

I read this book several times and marvel at its great accessibility. It represents probably the best research effort on the great navigator. Joyner's annotated bibliography is extremely helpful to the serious student of navigation history in general and Magellan in particular. No other work in the past 50 years compares with the scholarly excellence of this book. A scholar who is just starting to get familiar with the story of the circumnavigation will find this book a complete pathway to all that must lie ahead for a thorough understanding of the greatest adventure at sea. This is a must book for both layman and scholar!

Magellan's voyage occurred against the backdrop of the Renaissance... a truly amazing time in mankind's history. Magellan's discovery, for Europeans, of the extent of the Pacific Ocean and the size of world was an important part of the Renaissance's awakening of the mind.

This book is the most definitive of the more recent books on Magellan that I have read and history buffs should enjoy it. Details of Magellan's Armada's voyage are relatively limited. Few crew members survived, and even fewer wrote of their experiences. Mr. Joyner does an excellent job of bringing together all known data to present what likely actually happened. Where there is uncertainty, he will say so, and offer alternative explanations.

I forgot how I came across this book, but I loved it. I had no interest to this genre prior to reading it, but it has become one of my favorites. Great read, great details, and an eye-opening account on how Magellan got his name, his ship, and his adventure. Highly recommended.

If you find this book interesting, then check out Gavin Menzies book:"1421:The year China discovered America". It may shed some different light on all of the Portguese and Spanish explorers. It seems the Chinese explored the whole world and mapped it while the Europeans were still thinking the world was flat and full of sea serpents. The Portguese were the first to receive maps from the Chinese(called the 1428 maps). The Chinese explored and mapped the "Straights of Magellan" nearly a century before Magellan.