A Long and Uncertain Journey: The 27,000 Mile Voyage of Vasco Da Gama (Great Explorers) (Hardcover)

by Joan Elizabeth Goodman (Author), Tom McNeely (Illustrator) "Over five hundred years ago, King Manuel of Portugal sent four ships, commanded by Vasco da Gama, to find the sea route to India and..." (more)
Key Phrases: Vasco da Gama, Indian Ocean, Prince Henry (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Hewing to a format similar to her Beyond the Sea of Ice, Goodman recounts Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama's epic journey of 1497-1499. The first European to sail around Africa to India (known for precious spices), da Gama risked not only natural perils like storms but also attack by unfriendly Muslims. Although the voyage produced little in the way of goods and treasure, it was to have broad implications politically and economically, as an afterword makes clear. The author's thorough research is evident throughout, both in the detail she packs into the text as well as in her ability to knit the proceedings into a broad historical context. However, her prose never rises above the workmanlike ("How strange and frightening these unwashed, hairy, overdressed Portuguese must have looked to the Hottentots, the tribe of that region"), and the vast stretches of uninterrupted type may leave some readers at sea. McNeely's (Despite All Obstacles: LaSalle and the Conquest of the Mississippi) panoramic watercolors help enliven things, as does a handsome layout that includes black-bordered pages and short sidebars with entries plucked from da Gama's own journal. A gatefold map allows the audience to follow the outbound and return voyages while reading along. A solid, if somewhat unimpassioned, presentation. Ages 8-18.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-Lavish, earth-toned watercolor illustrations extend a lucid, interesting text that details the initial 1497 voyage of Vasco da Gama around Africa to the Orient. Beginning with background on Portuguese exploration, navigation, and the role of Prince Henry the Navigator, the running narrative includes sidebars taken from the journal of one of da Gama's crew members-an excellent example of primary-source material. The objective presentation is matter-of-fact regarding the explorer's brutality and ignorance in dealing with the indigenous populations of Africa and the Near East. However, the author still manages to maintain a focus on the bravery and persistence of the man and his crew. The balanced presentation, which concludes with a summation of the remainder of da Gama's career and the fall of the Portuguese overseas empire, is compellingly written and makes interesting reading. A note on The Lus'ads, an epic poem about da Gama by 16th-century poet Lu's Vaz de Camoes, rounds out this volume. Coupled with Leonard Everett Fisher's Prince Henry the Navigator (Macmillan, 1990; o.p.), it provides a solid introduction to the grand era of Portuguese navigation.

Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Mikaya Press (April 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096504937X
• ISBN-13: 978-0965049375
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #693,037 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A memorable and enjoyable "window in time", June 8, 2001

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

A Long And Uncertain Journey is the entertaining and informative picturebook story of Vasco da Gama's 27,000 mile exploratory journey in 1497. Sailing to discover a route to China just five years after Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama discovered what Columbus had not -- a sea route from Europe to China. Elizabeth Goodman blends a compelling, dramatic narrative with Tom McNeely's superbly drawn watercolors giving readers age 8 to 18 a memorable and enjoyable "window in time" to one of the truly outstanding feats in history.

1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ITS ALRIGHT!, May 18, 2002

By	hermione (britain) - See all my reviews

hi ,
Im Hermione and i like to write a review on the above book.
its nice and ive bought it using the information they have given.
though i would like them also to write out the summary of the book so that the viewers have an idea of the book since all the books are about vasco da gama{the bks that i ordered}.
In all other respects the site is good
thanking you
Hermione{this is not only a name in the harrypotter bk but also my real name}
{im from britain and love harrypotter}