Customer Reviews

Unknown Seas: How Vasco Da Gama Opened the East

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Every once and awhile someone will come along and write a book about a subject that has been researched, debated and otherwise covered so often before that it lacks appeal to the average reader. Under those circumstances, there is the temptation to pass by yet another telling of the same story. It is rare to find a fresh treatment of an historical event that was introduced to most Americans by a fifth grade textbook.

I don't know much about the author of "Unknown Seas" but I know a great deal about the tale he tells, having studied Portuguese history for years. That said, I would enthusiastically recommend his book because it is that rare combination of accurate reporting within a broad historical context, together with a fascination for detail that makes it an unexpected pleasure. I found no errors in the description of what actually happened and great fun in how the story was told.

Vacso da Gama's voyage to India was arguably one of the most significant sea journeys in recorded history. At the time it occurred it had a far greater impact upon European culture, politics and its economy than all of Columbus' multiple trips to "the new world" combined. Ronald Watkins takes the reader on this remarkable adventure but he also supplies the necessary historical background, as well as the motivations and personalities of the principal characters involved to give the story a deeper meaning. If you want an academic treatment of da Gama's extraordinary achievement, read C.R. Boxer. But if what you are looking for is a detailed accounting of how a skilled leader and often ruthless adventurer from a small nation, with limited human resources but brilliant leadership, literally changed first medieval Europe, and ultimately the world, get this book. It won't disappoint.

The history of Portuguese exploration and discovery in Africa and Asia is fertile ground for a dramatic tale, and the author does a good job of conveying a sense of excitement and wonder, placing the reader in the shoes of someone witnessing the events for the first time.

While I found the general lack of citations disappointing, the book is easy to read while still providing detailed history of events. This book would make a great introduction for anyone with even a slight curiousity about this period in history.

Further reading of more scholarly books will provide the nitty-gritty details of the various source materials (as well as the disputes by historians about various aspects) but this book avoids scholarly debate and the modern tendency to attempt to knock every historic figure off his pedestal. Overall a pleasure to read.

I would just note that, unlike the some of the other reviewers, I found no trace of the author making excuses for the slave trade or any other such events. What the author has done is put the actions of the Portuguese in their proper historical context as opposed to viewing them through the lens of modern values.

Concise , light , lively and informative work on Vasco da Gama and portuguese contribution to reach other civilisations and open the unknown world....

Unknown Seas: How Vasco Da Gama Opened The East

By Ronald J.Watkins

In order to grasp the situation involving the century-old Portuguese story, one must note the historical implications, especially the economic as well as the self-interest of the nation, its political agendas, and the individual drives of the major players found in any monograph written about Vasco da Gama. In Watkin's version, the author's ability to tell the story from many viewpoints is useful in a comprehensive understanding of the events surrounding Vasco da Gama's life and times.

Given that any story written about Gama can never be fully presented, since what actually happened as well as what others said actually happened, remains the fodder of constant flux and debate since few documents survive to date, Watkins surely paints an intriguing portrait of the man. Vasco da Gama is known by the historicity of a dozen or so primary documents, those with historical authenticity that describe his story and the legendary status surrounding his lifetime achievements, and those written after his death. A good historian combines crafted methodologies related to primary and secondary sources that surely offer accurate timelines and descriptions noted as presentations of the events described. In Watkin's tale, we see elements of both historical accuracy and the solid skills of a good storyteller.

Thus, what can we learn from Ronald J. Watkin's version of events? This remains the ultimate question since one can sense that after reading the entire corpus, it appears to be a very interesting, if not, "a more than introductory account" of Gama's story, albeit, seen through prism the eyes of a 21st century writer.

Watkin's sources include: Rotiero of Gama's first voyage to India; Gasper Correia, The Three Voyages of Vasco da Gama, and His Viceroyalty, from the Lendas da India, (London,1869); Bailey Diffie and George D. Winnius, Foundations of the Portuguese Empire 1415-1580 (Minneapolis 1977), and S.E. Morison's Sailing Instructions of Vasco da Gama to Pedro Álvares Cabral. Other additional standard sources used by Watson includes H.V. Livermore's A New History of Portugal, Cambridge 1969); Edgar Prestage's, The Portuguese Voyages of Prestage's The Chronicle of Discovery and Conquest of Guinea and The Portuguese Pioneers ).

From the introduction to the conclusion, one finds Watkin's version of the account and his writing style at times excellent and poignant. Starting with a tale about Columbus and his historic meeting with John II of Portugal, until Gama's discovery, which led to "the blueprint of future Portuguese dominance of spice trade with all that that meant for the tiny, impoverished nation," one finds this tale compelling and though provoking. I highly recommend this excellent book.

Greg Robinson

I thought I've read everything about Vasco da Gama until I discovered this concise and interesting book. Very readable, it tells one of the most dangerous and adventurous sea voyages into a mythical and unknown region.

This is a fascinating and well-researched account of how the Portugese opened up the route to India. The author creates an atmosphere that drags the reader in totally and leaves him thirsting for more than the vicarious participation in the events of those times that it offers. The only irritant in this otherwise excellent book is the author's repeated lame "defence" of the slave trade, religious intolerance, and imperialist violence.

I make mine the words of the first two reviewers, there is little to add, it is a wonderfully informative account of the portuguese discoveries, told in a gripping way, I could not wait to sit and read it.