Columbus's Outpost among the Taínos: Spain and America at La Isabela, 1493-1498

Book Description

In 1493 Christopher Columbus led a fleet of seventeen ships and more than twelve hundred men to found a royal trading colony in America. Columbus had high hopes for his settlement, which he named La Isabela after the queen of Spain, but just five years later it was in ruins. It remains important, however, as the first site of European settlement in America and the first place of sustained interaction between Europeans and the indigenous Taínos. Kathleen Deagan and José María Cruxent now tell the story of this historic enterprise. Drawing on their ten-year archaeological investigation of the site of La Isabela, along with research into Columbus-era documents, they contrast Spanish expectations of America with the actual events and living conditions at America's first European town. Deagan and Cruxent argue that La Isabela failed not because Columbus was a poor planner but because his vision of America was grounded in European experience and could not be sustained in the face of the realities of American life. Explaining that the original Spanish economic and social frameworks for colonization had to be altered in America in response to the American landscape and the non-elite Spanish and Taíno people who occupied it, they shed light on larger questions of American colonialism and the development of Euro-American cultural identity

Customer Reviews:

A Tremendous Example of Historical Research.......2004-05-18

I read it in three days.

A must have book for anyone interested in the Conquista and early colonization of the Caribbean and America in General. I also believe that anyone interested in the life and deeds of Christopher Columbus should read this work.

The authors' combination of archaeological excavation with documentary research is excellent and should serve as an example for future research projects. Furthermore, some of the discoveries they made will be quite unexpected and surprising for the general public, and even for those familiar with their work.

Book Description

Telling the story of the greatest sailor of them all, "Admiral of the Ocean Sea" is a vivid and definitive biography of Columbus that details all of his voyages that, for better or worse, changed the world. 50 drawings, maps charts; 4 fold-outs.

Customer Reviews:

How Times Have Changed For Cristobal Colon.......2007-10-11

Morison wrote this fine book in honor of the 450'th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America. I think Morison would be surprised at how people's perceptions of the event have changed in the decades since.
First off, let me say that the book is well worth reading. Morison was a man of the sea himself and he sailed in the same waters as Columbus. We see in the book how Columbus was a master seaman as well as being a great salesman, but on the other hand he was a poor geographer and even worse politician. The Portuguese were right in turning down his proposal for the Enterprise of the Indies, their geographers knew that Columbus was way off the mark regarding the distance from Europe to East Asia. In any event, they were making good progress down Africa and they felt it was just a matter of time until they found the bottom of the continent and the entrance to the Indian Ocean.

I would now like to address the change in fortune for Columbus's reputation.

(1) People now like to say that he didn't "discover" America. One reason is because there were already people (the American Indians) there, but that is simply world-games. Of course he "discovered" it, no one in Europe or Asia knew about it, and the Indians didn't know about Europe or Asia either. Secondly, the fact that Columbus wasn't necessarily the first to cross the Atlantic doesn't change anything. The Vikings who reached North America simply viewed it as another Arctic land and had no idea of the geographical relationship of this new continent to the rest of the world. In any event, they didn't exploit their discovery in the long run, only Columbus's voyage led to that. It is also speculated that Portuguese fisherman were crossing the Atlantic before Columbus, after all, they discovered the Azores already in the 1420's (already one-third of the way across the Atlantic) but we don't know if they sighted the continent, and even if they did, they, like the Vikings didn't do anything to exploit their knowledge.

(2) People say that he is responsible for the destruction of the Indian society that existed on Hispaniola. It certainly wasn't his original intention to do this. He wanted to convert the natives to Christianity, so killing them off wouldn't help this mission. Morison himself points out that Columbus did contribute to this tragedy, but even if Columbus had been more careful, I think the Indians would have had the same fate. The settlers that came in the wake of the discovery brought new plants and animals in addition to previously unknown diseases and all these things would have grievously damaged the Indians agricultural system and society. Add to this the Spaniard's missionary religion which no doubt was attractive to at least some of the native population and we see that things could just not remain the same.
(3) Some people claim the pre-Columbian New World was some sort of paradise that the Europeans ruined. This is also knows as the myth of the "noble savage". Unfortunatley it is just a myth because human nature is the same all over the world. Greed, cruelty, avarice and the such are not just European or Western traits. The Carib tribes who inhabited the Caribbean Sea (and gave it its name) were very warlike and fought other, more peaceful tribes. Similarly, the Mexica (also knows as the Aztec) the Hernan Cortes conquered in the wake of Columbus was hated by its Indian neighbors for supressing them and taking prisoners for the human sacrificial system. Thus, we should be more realistic in evaluating the pre-Columbian societies and remove the "politically correct" rose-colored glasses.

(3) While it is true that slaves from Africa were brought over to Hispaniola, it must be remembered that the European slave traders who brought them over to the New World did not land in West Africa and grab natives "off the streets". They bought them from local African chiefs who captured prisoners in their local wars and then sold them to the Europeans. Thus, regarding the cruelty of the slavery system, there is plenty of blame to go around and not just to the white men involved.

All-in-all, this is a very enjoyable book to read about a man, who perhaps more than any other single person, brought about the most massive revolution in human history.

Excellent work.......2007-01-12

Morison's pulitzer prize winning work is an engaging, balanced, well written look at the life of the great explorer. The emphasis of the book is on Columbus, the mariner.(Morrison, a Harvard professor with a sailing background, actually retraced Columbus journeys in his own sailing craft). I was interested in finding a fair and objective historical biography of Columbus (without all the negative, politically correct, anti-European propoganda that permeates the thinking of modern leftist academics).In my opinion, this book provides it. I would highly recommend this work for students of history, who want to gain a better appreciation of the nature and significance of Columbus Voyages.

"Adelante! Adelante!" (Land! Land!).......2006-10-22

"Admiral of the Ocean Sea", Samuel Morison's 1942 Pulitzer Prize winning
biography of Christopher Columbus, is still considered by many to be the
best there is. Morison spent 2 years on a sailboat re-tracing Columbus' voyages bringing a first hand immediacy and perspective that gives it unusual authority on all technical aspects of sailing and navigation. In addition Morison was a Harvard history professor whose research of the written record is impeccable. Even before Columbus died in the early 16th century, there have been countless controversies and debates about many aspects of his life and voyages. Into this maelstrom of legend, myth and folklore - like the discover he writes about - Morison brings order, calm and reliable passage through one of the most fascinating and mythological figures of World History.

Genuinely worthy of five stars.......2005-07-25

I have had this book on my shelf for quite a while, and finally got around to reading it after watching a documentary on Columbus on the Discivery Channel. I got inspired to overcome my intellectual laziness, and how pleased I am I did! This book really deserves its reputation as a timeless classic, and the author, a giant of maritime history, did such a fine job that I now want to read his well known biography of John Paul Jones. The text is gripping and the author's insights abound. This is a fine book.

A colorful narrative, rich in detail........2005-02-22

This book is the definitive work on Columbus. Morison is famous for making the same journey that Columbus made with largely the same equipment in order to prepare for writing this book. His experience shines through in the detail thatMorison lavishes on his subject.

As is the case with any great biography, Morison has become enamored with his subject, highlighting his strengths and successes while downplaying his weaknesses and failures, but you know that going into any biography and can adjust your interpretation accordingly.

The story here is told very well, keeping the reader engaged and turning pages. Additionally, the book dispells many of the myths and common misconceptions about Columbus and really fills in a complete picure of the man.

Well worth reading for any fan of history or biography.

Average customer rating:

Indispensible
Excellent resource for teachers
drivel........
Excellent
Rethinking All History Books

Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years

Manufacturer: Rethinking Schools Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Lies My Teacher Told Me
Rethinking Our Classrooms: Teaching for Equity and Justice
The Line Between Us: Teaching About the Border and Mexican Immigration
Doing History: Investigating with Children in Elementary and Middle Schools, Third Edition
Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guide to K 12 Anti Racist, Multicultural Education and Staff Development

ASIN: 094296120X

Book Description

This is a revised and expanded edition of a popular 1991 booklet that changed the way "the discovery of America" is taught in classroom and community settings. The new edition has over 100 pp. of new material, including a role-play trial of Columbus, materials on Thanksgiving Day, resources, historical documents, poetry, and more. It will help readers replace murky legends with a better sense of who we are and why we are here -- and celebrates over 500 years of the courageous struggles and lasting wisdom of native peoples.

Customer Reviews:

Indispensible.......2007-08-19

As a history teacher who feels it is my responsibility to teach histories that have been marginalized and to teach truth that has been denied, Rethinking Columbus (and other books put out by Rethinking Schools) is tremendously useful, not only for the practical ideas for lesson plans and activities (which are wonderful), but also for the general message of the importance of critical thinking among students and teachers. I wish curriculum of this sort had been shared with me in my teacher education program.

Excellent resource for teachers.......2007-03-10

Rethinking Columbus provides a variety of resources, includign articles, essays, poems, song lyrics. lesson plan ideas, maps, lists, book reviews, and itnerviews. All around the central theme of finding an accurate interpretation of the Native American experience in the Americas since Columbus landed here in 1492. It is especially useful as a place for alternative resources that might be used in the classroom in the form of copyable pages that could be read to or by students, depending on their reading level. The status quo in our system is to teach about Columbus as a hero who "discovered" America. This book gives us an alternative version, where Columbus's actions instigate mass genocide, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and issues of opression that Native American's still suffer today.

The book does not contain fully detailed lesson plans, but has several pages of ideas for lessons with appropriate resources. There is an elementary and a secondary section, the secondary section covers mroe modern issues Native Americans face, while the elementary section covers more of the history. The book has two articles that review children's literature surrounding Columbus. The article on traditional literature shows the massive dismissal in a majority of the books of Native People as human beings of worth, only the white people have names, they are heroes, it is told from only their point of view. The second article reviews books that attempt to be more culturally relevant, while all of these also have problems. I was frustrated reading this, because it did not review books that were completely apprppriate, and maybe there aren't many. They did list a few in the back of the book. But by having the reviews of where there could be problems with the literature, teachers can still use the resources and discuss with their students how the author might have gotten it wrong.

Since the book is comprised of a series of articles, it is not one you have to read front to back. You can pick it up and easily read a section, and it could be something you could come to with a specific topic and easily find a resource without dredging through long passages.

The book could go into further detail about connections outside social studies, such as the accomplishments of native peoples in the areas of science, math, and other areas.

drivel...............2006-06-05

Bigelow seeks to shamelessly use the schools as the propaganda arm for his obsolescent pseudo Marxist horse hockey - despite having absoltuely no democratically mandated authority to do so; thus, like a true apparatachik, he boldly goes where no sane person wants to go, onto slef-initiated committees where he and his ilk rhetorically bludgeon their way to exclusive membership and hope to use the mechanism of bureaucratic state coercion to cram their communist agenda deep into the...well, you get the picture. The odd thing about the Bigandlow type is they generally bring with them a trailing retinue of glassy- eyed women who nod stone faced as the Bigandlow Chairman pours forth venom against the perfidious pawns of the profiteers in meatings no sane person would attend more than once.

Photos of Bigelow bending down to help black students smiling at their desks and working earnestly at their studies are eerily similar to pictures of Hitler petting his dogs who have come to sniff his vegetarian meal.

The next 500 years in the title should give you a pretty good idea that this totalitarian millenialism all over again. Will Bigandlow take his case to the voters and run an HONEST campaign as a communist? Of course not. Like any good Stalinist - Leninist, he knows damn well that the capitalists will simply pervert the election and sway the gullible masses with fear. Thus Bigandlow doesn't mind lying about his intentions until he feels the people are ready for communnism. And he and his ilk have annointed themselves the cultural army that will transform consciousness.

Excellent.......2004-03-12

This is a wonderful book about atrocity and genocide. It should be reqiured in every public school in the U.S.

Rethinking All History Books.......2001-11-08

I always thought that there was another story to every history event. They always just told us about the preditures doings and not what happened to the victims. I never knew the whole truth about the Columbus aventure. I also never heard of the way they treated Native Americans when they came into our country. I recommend this book to all school systems. All students and adults should know the truth about their hero. This book also made me look at other events in the past that the regular history books left out. I hope to learn more about the truth from other history events that happened. This is the best book that I read in a long time.

The Four Voyages: Being His Own Log-Book, Letters and Dispatches with Connecting Narratives.. (Penguin Classics)

Average customer rating:

No, the Third Voyage is the best!
great description of Columbus voyages
Columbus Resurrected
Amazing. An in debt look at Columbus and hislifeBuDdaHlOvAh

The Four Voyages: Being His Own Log-Book, Letters and Dispatches with Connecting Narratives.. (Penguin Classics)
Christopher Columbus
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140442170

Customer Reviews:

No, the Third Voyage is the best!.......2006-03-16

This book contains primary sources ONLY. (How do I "rate" the letters of Christopher Columbus? :-) You can read about the life and times of an historical character by the very best historians for years, but until you read what that character actually wrote about his own experiences, you're groping in the dark. Nothing compares to getting it from the horse's mouth.

These letters, beautifully translated, free of anyone's opinions, are history's nuclear core. Any gut sense YOU get from these words may well be closer to the truth than what you've read by any scholar. Occasionally you might realize that your favorite historian didn't actually finish reading some of the letters they're basing an argument on! Then you are in a position of knowing more than he/she does.

I do wonder why Penguin doesn't fix the date of Columbus's death. The editor has him dying in 1509 (not a typo since it's repeated) which is a shame. Columbus died 500 years ago this spring, and a quincentenary only happens once. It's "Goodbye, Columbus" May 20th, 2006.

FAVORITE VOYAGE: NO. 3, when he blesses the continent of South America with his tears (red with blood from exposure and illness) and warns the Monarchs that this is the Earthly Paradise and no one may enter without God's leave.

great description of Columbus voyages.......2005-11-02

This book is a great description of the events related to the exploration of the new world made by Columbus. The first two voyages are the most interesting because of the discovery of the caribbean island and the natives inhabitants living there, the arawaks and the caribs. The latter were very particular on account of its cannibalism.

In the third voyage, Columbus finally reach mainland and the fourth voyage was the toughest of all due to huge storms that lasted several days and the attacks of indian while there were repairing. At the end of the book there is an account made by Diego Mendez, a truly survivor and loyal servant of the Admiral who saved the lives of all of them while they were waiting in Jamaica, for a year.

I my opinion Columbus was a great navigator and a brave man. It is sad how the life of the Admiral ends and the poor retribution from the kings of Spain.

Columbus Resurrected.......2004-03-12

J. M. Cohen's translation of various 1st-hand or near first-hand accounts, including that of Columbus' son, Hernando Colon's LIFE OF THE ADMIRAL brings the Columbus story to life.

The Introduction, coming from a translator of literature rather than a historian, is rather uninspiring; however, he does provide a rather thorough rebuttal of the argument, made by many supporters of Bartolome de Las Casas and referred to without explanation by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto in COLUMBUS, that Hernando Colon's work is a forgery. Indeed, since it appeared long before Las Casas' HISTORY was published, the issue of forgery may go in the other direction!

The book, through early Spanish sources, looks at the rumor that Columbus relied on the map of an ailing Portuguese sailor. It makes plain Columbus' error in thinking he was near Japan (Chipangu) and his belief that he would reach Cathay! We see his rather innocent introduction to the potent tobacco plant and how the natives fed his belief that gold, pearl and spices were nearby.

Columbus is shown to be of mixed character: on the one hand, he generally seems to respect the natives he meets and makes an alliance with one chieftain against the 'cannibal' Caribs. On the other, he takes several natives captive (to have them trained in Spanish so that they can serve as translators on future voyages), gives some Carib women to his men (who raped them as in the case of the vile Michele de Cuneo) and discusses conquest and enslavement of idolators [not particularly shocking considering the long history of conflicts and mutual enslavement between the muslim moors of Spain & Northern Africa and the Christians of Spain & Portugal].

Columbus' biggest problem appears to be his tendency to leave his men (39 on the first voyage) as colonies while he explores elsewhere. Whenver he returns, the natives have either killed the colonists or were at war with them - often due to the Spaniards' greed and licentiousness. Indeed, at one point, he leaves his brother in charge and the Spaniards, being forbidden to sleep with the native women revolt and found a rebel colony where the women were supposed to be more accomodating! Columbus ultimately is forced into an accomodation with these Spaniards and eventually conquers the natives. We also see the separate voyage of Ovando to Hispaniola and the beginnings of the gold mines. Columbus, not unlike a number of his successors, suffered arrest and trial and, after his last voyage, was deprive of power and authority.

Columbus' voyages, following in the footsteps of the Henrican discoveries, would likely have eventually been made by someone but Columbus seems especially driven to exploration. It was an unfortunate fact that he was also a very poor (and often absent) governor. His actions, sometimes courageous and thoughtful, sometimes harsh and reflexive probably represent the more civilized men of his time - when the Middle Ages was just ending, slavery and religious wars continued in Spain, Portugal, North Africa and Italy, and people were still being burned at the stake for heresy.

Amazing. An in debt look at Columbus and hislifeBuDdaHlOvAh.......1998-10-29

This book was excellent. It taught me so much more about Columbus and his journey's. Being a school teacher, this book sure will help me while teaching my students. I now have much more knolege on the subject.

Christopher Columbus (Step-Into-Reading, Step 3)

Average customer rating:

Good Starter Book For Learning About Columbus.

Christopher Columbus (Step-Into-Reading, Step 3)
Stephen Krensky
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679803696
Release Date: 1991-08-20

Book Description

Illus. in full color. Youngsters can celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's fateful voyage with this dramatic, easy-to-read account of a pivotal moment in American history. "

Customer Reviews:

Good Starter Book For Learning About Columbus........2002-08-03

Hi!:) This book is nice and informative without being too long and boring. It will most likely appeal to children around 5 or 6 through about 9 or 10. After that, they may want to read another, more in depth biography about this remarkable and fearless sailor and explorer.
The illustrations are realistic and well done.
I, as a parent, felt that the ending was a bit weak, but children will certainly gain a better understanding and clearer picture of the explorer, and his sacrifices, upon reading this book. Wording is simple and uncomplicated. A step 2 book.
Good information, good book!~

The Diario of Christopher Columbus's First Voyage to America, 1492-1493 (American Exploration & Travel Series, Vol 70)

Average customer rating:

A must-have for any Columbus scholar

The Diario of Christopher Columbus's First Voyage to America, 1492-1493 (American Exploration & Travel Series, Vol 70)
Oliver Dunn , and James E. Kelley
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0806123842

Customer Reviews:

A must-have for any Columbus scholar.......2000-11-03

This is the largest fragment of Columbus's first voyage log, as abstracted by Bartolome de Las Casas. Of the many editions in print, Dunn & Kelley stands head and shoulders above the rest. The format has a new Spanish transcription on the left-hand pages, exactly as hand-written in the original manuscript by Las Casas: same abbreviations, strike-outs, diacriticals, and marginal notes. The right-hand pages contain an English translation.

Customer Reviews:

A Lucky Man.......2006-01-14

Columbus was a lucky man (blessed, he would say). He had to be. Who else could have so much go so wrong and still become famous for the one big thing he did by mistake: discover America...if he did that. Anyway, he had a lot of adventure (or misadventure), and Jean Fritz tells about it and him--not in the traditionally reverent way, but with a humorous and matter-of-fact approach.

"Where Are You Going, Heinrich Himmler?".......2003-09-26

It's hard to imagine something lower or more morally contemptible than books of this kind. Columbus was guilty of the genocide of eight million Native people. Imagine "Where Are You Going Heinrich Himmler?" or "Where Are You Going Adolf Eichmann?" for comparison. His vaunted "discovery" was no such thing. Native people were already there. Polynesians, Inuit, Phoenicians, and Africans had already made the same voyage, and unlike old Chris did not slaughter millions once they got here.
For very young children, I would simply mention that Columbus was a very cruel man and leave it at that. It is simply impossible to tell them the truth at such a young age without giving them nightmares. But for heaven's sake, DONT whitewash or glorify a butcher like Columbus. Once they are in their teens, tell you children the TRUTH with such wonderful books as Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me or Takaki's A Different Mirror. Our kids deserve truth, not lies, in order for them to better deal with the legacy of genocide.

A Fun Book to Stimulate Interest in History.......2002-01-31

This is a fun book that should help your youngster develop an interest in American History. It is easy to read an has great illustratiions. You will not be disappointed with this purchase. Look for others by the same author.

Very informative with interesting illustrations.......1998-01-24

Nicely done. Jean Fritz relates to children of "all ages". A necessary compliment alongside the more encyclopedic versions.

The Last Voyage of Columbus: Being the Epic Tale of the Great Captain's Fourth Expedition, Including Accounts of Mutiny, Shipwreck, and Discovery

Average customer rating:

Amazing Story...and it was never told before?!!?!
IT'S A NOVEL.
"He chose to live a bold life rather than settle for mediocrity" (a history teacher's review)
The Myth and the Man
Great Read!

The Last Voyage of Columbus: Being the Epic Tale of the Great Captain's Fourth Expedition, Including Accounts of Mutiny, Shipwreck, and Discovery
Martin Dugard
Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0316154563

Book Description

This thrilling adventure narrative recreates the epic, never-before-told story of Columbuss fourth and final journey to the New Worlda voyage that was by far his most dangerous, unexpected, exhilarating, and consequential.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Story...and it was never told before?!!?!.......2007-10-09

Dugard is a fantastic writer. Although the beginning of the book begins slowly, the tale of the fourth voyage is one of the most thrilling adventures I ever read. The fact that this was a true story and not fiction makes the reader hold onto their armchair as Dugard's narrative reads beautifully and steers the reader along, and it does so as masterfully as the great Columbus himself, who tenaciously led his frightened men to the New World. And despite Columbus' later misfortunes during this fourth voyage, he was an extremely clever man with outstanding resolve that although never found that elusive passage to Asia did manage to return home safely after a nerve-racking series of disasters. That is astounding by any mortal's standards.

I was glad to see that the History Channel made a movie on Dugard's book, as it is a crucial piece of history and an amazing story. Despite Columbus' failed mission he led his crew through, while even being deathly sick, to finally being rescued. That so many men did follow him, regardless of the mutiny, which was understandable at that crisis, it seems the main issue many others and I have is about Columbus being a tyrant. This whole issue truly needs factual evidence to prove that it was Columbus rather than his officers who committed those gross misdeeds on Hispaniola that tarnished Columbus' name, honor and right to govern.

In comparison to King Ferdinand's Spain, which was entering its most ugly period of pogroms by first expelling the Muslims and currently on a mission to begin the Inquisition, Columbus appears to have been an angel. If harsh punishments were meted out on Hispaniola, it seems the evil King Ferdinand, who was killing people in mass, was no one to reprimand Columbus or his men for harsh treatment. Many factors indicate that the King's aim was to demote Columbus and his monopoly on the New World, which he and his evil bishop, Fonseca, managed to do. They were ruthlessly expelling Muslims and Jews, and Columbus was just another expendable victim added to the list. Hence, this vital information needs to be finally resolved by ALL historians writing about Columbus.

However, this book is titled "The Last Voyage of Columbus", so I can't criticize Dugard too much in this regard, yet his storyline does address this previous issue, and therefore should to some extent. But as for the tantalizing fourth voyage, this is nothing short of extraordinary and almost too unreal to believe.

This was a fascinating tale, written in a fascinating and engaging style. Bravo Dugard! And thanks for bequeathing to the world this great and important tale. A MUST READ!

IT'S A NOVEL........2007-09-25

Sigh. Dugard is such a good writer -- an awe-inspiring writer -- but a book with an index promotes itself as nonfiction. He's got the basic outline of the Columbian story, but the very vividness of his talent makes his historical blunders all the more jarring. Eventually they become unbearable, which is sad.

He keeps tripping over his own cursory research, bedecking Columbus in the correct colorful Renaissance attire, for example, at a time when the real Columbus wore monk's robes. He has Columbus the father holed up with his son Ferdinand in a hurricane -- getting to know each other "after a lifetime apart." What lifetime was that? Ferdinand's mother was Columbus's partner from 1485 to his death. Family life with her, their son Ferdinand, and Columbus's elder son, the motherless Diego, probably made seven years of waiting bearable for him. Cordoba, where Beatriz lived, was his home base, and we know that he stayed there with her and his children between voyages as well: At one point Ferdinand tells us in his biography that Columbus finally sent the two boys back to school because the next voyage was hopelessly delayed.

One night in a storm together may have made for vivid memories, but they knew "each other very, very well" already. With some research, this book could have been a masterpiece.

"He chose to live a bold life rather than settle for mediocrity" (a history teacher's review).......2007-09-01

"The only certainty about Columbus is that, for better or worse, he chose to live a bold life rather than settle for mediocrity." (p. 268)

That is how Dugard ends a lively and informative biography of Christopher Columbus. As the title indicates, Dugard focuses on the fourth voyage of Columbus and its successes and mishaps. In order to properly place this voyage in its correct context, he uses the first half of the book to give the reader a fairly comprehensive biography of Columbus, as well as a thorough look at the politics of the day and other voyages of exploration, especially those of the Spanish and Portugese.

Columbus has been a whipping boy for the politically correct crowd for decades now. Dugard does a solid job of putting Columbus's actions in their proper context without becoming an apologist for his actions. Dugard is unabashadly admiring of Columbus's skills as a navigator and his bravery, but he's quite critical of his abilities as a colonial administrator. His narrative would be a wonderful movie except for two things: #1) Columbus is still radioactively politically incorrect; #2) No one would believe it.

It is a fascinating story and I highly recommend this read. However, I cannot give it 5 stars because Dugard does the unthinkable for a writer of any history - he fails to provide any sort of footnotes or endnotes. None. He does provide an extensive bibliography, but that is not good enough. I require my high school students to provide footnotes or endnotes. Dugard should do the same thing.

The Myth and the Man.......2006-12-04

This book is divided into two parts, the first deals with Columbus, his time spent getting some one (anyone) to back him finacially on a hairbrain scheme to get to China/India by sailing West, and his first three voyages and their results. The second deals with the Fourth Voyage (which he calls his "High Voyage) it's triumph(s), tragedies and their aftermath.

But what makes this book worth reading is what it really deals with, and that when a man's dreams come true they are not always what he expected nor what he wanted in the first place (or thought he did). Columbus wanted to sail west, discover a way to the Orient, make himself a fortune, be showered with lands medals and titles and leave a great legacy for his children and posterity.

Because of his political naivete, what he got was short term acclaim, then humiliation and banishment, the smugness and pettiness of syncophants and courtiers, privation and deprivation, and lastly he almost lost credit for discovering the "New World" to a man (Amerigo Vespucci) who might never have actually commanded a ship of discovery. Keep in mind that the two continents are called America not Columbia (or Colonia, or Colomboia).

Dugard does a marvellous job of bringing out the personalities of all the people involved, from Ferdinand (miser and ingrate) and Isabella (friend and admirer), to his schizophrenic crews (who could never make up their minds on whose side they were on), the indigenous people (some who fought him and others that saved him from starvation); to the man himself who thought that he was protected by God, and never lost his belief in the miraculous help of prayer.

Great Read!.......2006-09-21

This is exciting stuff! I enjoy the honest portrayal of Columbus, showing his strengths and weaknesses and how he was both an opportunist and a victim of the system. The narrative is spell binding and gripping. It is a great story and very well written. One thing the reader should be aware of is that the first half of the body of the book is background information. It interesting and important information to have before you read the account of the voyage, but there is a lot of it and the title may mislead you into thinking that the body of the book primarily consists of the account of Columbus's fourth voyage, when the account is really about half. Secondly, I wished that there were more maps marking the important places the book mentions in Spain, Africa and the New World. There is a map of the New World and the lines marking Columbus's four voyages, but not enough of the important points are included on that map. Having that would have aided my mental picture of what was happening. Also, one of the other reviewers mentioned the lack of source citations. I have noticed the same thing about other recent reader's-history books lately. I wonder if it is becoming a trend to cite less, in order to prevent distraction to the reader. I hope not. Citing sources is an important part of validating one's research and it reassures folks that undue embellishments are not being made. Nonetheless, these are all nit-picky points compared to the almost magical way that Dugard draws you into the story. Buy the book! You won't be able to put it down you will be amazed at what Columbus and his crew endured.

The Conquest of Paradise: Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Legacy

Average customer rating:

This book is a joke.
An inevitable book about an inevitable shame
THE Book to Understand the Columbus Myth
Absorbing & fascinating
Thought-Provoking, Readable, Ideologically Motivated

The Conquest of Paradise: Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Legacy
Kirkpatrick Sale
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Spain | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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Customer Reviews:

This book is a joke........2005-07-31

This book creates a few myths of its own. for a Solid biography of Columbus read Samuel Eliot Morison's Admiral of the Ocean Sea.

An inevitable book about an inevitable shame.......2000-09-15

This is a well written and thought provoking book. I read it awhile back (1992) and really enjoyed it. I recommend it highly. However, I would like to share a few thoughts on the topic and approach of the book. In retrospect, it hardly seems fair to blame Columbus and the Europeans. I feel if we must blame something we should blame Human Nature instead.

Sale makes a strong case that the European discovery of distant yet habitable lands across the Atlantic was a huge tragedy for all involved, especially to the Native Americans - the conquered. Granted there was great violence and horror unleashed by this world shaking event, but, I would ask - "How else could this have happened?". The tragedy was inevitable. At anytime during Western history, if such an encounter were to take place, I think it is reasonable to assume, human nature being what it is, that the same tragic results would have occurred. We cannot pretend that Europeans explorers of ANY generation, save our own, would have taken with them a 20th century cultural sensitivity (a commodity that Sale apparently has in great quantity) or anthropological curiosity.

Furthermore, we shouldn't be lulled into believing that because the Native Americans were not as efficient killers as where the Europeans, that they somehow lived in an idyllic peace. Human nature being what it is, we see the same kind of religious fanaticism, the same proto-nationalism, and desperate warfare, egocentric monarchs and power-drunk clerics that mark European history. The Incas, Mayas, Aztecs, Chibcha and Arowat peoples believed THEIR gods to be universal, and THEIR way of life was ordained by heaven. The Incas and Aztecs conquered vast numbers of materially inferior peoples and brought them the "truth" of their religion as well as the benefits of their civilization, ie. trade and protection. Much the same way the Spaniards, Portugues, and French will do in post-Conquest Latin America.

I think that Columbus, for all his flaws and failings is nonetheless heroic simply for having the determination to arrive. If he didn't do it, someone else would have - and the glory and blame would have rested with that person. The conquest of paradise was a shame, but it was an inevitable one - sooner or later someone would have done it. I remember on Columbus Day 1992 going down to see the statue of Columbus in front of Union Station in Washington, DC - only to find "the discoverer" drenched in blood red paint. "what a shame"

For those who are interested in the topic, I highy recommend John Hemming's Conquest of the Incas - An equally fascinating book but one that has the advantage of being even-handed, open-minded and fair.

THE Book to Understand the Columbus Myth.......1999-12-11

I came upon Kirkpatrick Sale's The Conquest of Paradise years ago as I was researching what happened in the New World when Columbus showed up. After having read dozens of books on the issue, Sale's book probably stands as the most important single volume in understanding the Columbus Myth and how it came into being. I used his book significantly in writing of my own researches into the Columbus Myth and other lies I was taught as a child. If you want one book to begin understanding why we have a national holiday named after the man who initiated history's greatest genocide, The Conquest of Paradise is it.

Absorbing & fascinating.......1999-01-14

A must-read for the student of Columbus and the conquest of the New World that tells the story of the Great Discoverer as it has never been told before. Be prepared, for it shows Columbus as the product of a sickly and dispirited Europe convinced of the impending end of the world. It reveals him to be a rootless and lonely man who had difficulty getting along with his fellow Europeans and had little or no understanding of the lands he discovered and later governed. The book also dispells many enduring myths, such as how Queen Isabella supposedly pawned her jewels to finance his voyage, tales of mutinous sailors who believed the world was flat, and how Columbus supposedly died in obscure poverty. Read this book & you'll soon discover why there was such a backlash against the 500th aniversary celebration in 1992. There is a fascinating section that deals with the holocaust inflicted against the Indians, with stories and recollections of unbelieveable cruelty and astonishing horrors committed by the Spanish, including Columbus himself. Later chapters deal with his enduring legacy. Included is a look at the pros and cons of the Noble Savage-as environmentalist controversy. Well-written, engaging, and superbly researched. In my estimation, this is THE book on Columbus!

Thought-Provoking, Readable, Ideologically Motivated.......1998-05-09

Unquestionably a book with a left-wing political bias, but what a fascinating read! Sale tries to imagine the mindset of Columbus's contemporaries in order to explain their bewilderment and hostility when faced with the New World. I found his discussion of Europeans' attitudes toward wilderness and the connection to Biblical traditions absolutely fascinating. The title "Conquest of Paradise" isn't just a catchy and apocolyptic phrase. It refers to the Europeans' sense that they had fallen from paradise and in the process fallen from nature and what the consequences were of these beliefs when they made contact with the Americas. The later chapters on how history reshaped our image of Columbus are far less interesting. Sale has been criticized for his political bias and particularly for his ideas on ecology--many of which figure largely in this book. Being neither a historian nor an ecologist, I can't comment on them, but this book is definitely worth a read regardless.

Average customer rating:

A fun book for a sailor
indispensable for the student of the voyage....
Columbus Log

The Log of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Manufacturer: Intl Marine Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

A fun book for a sailor.......2005-04-10

A lot of great adventurers came back to write a book--Marco Polo, Julius Caeser, William Bligh, Neil Armstrong (well, with the help of Life Magazine). People seem to be the same throughout history. They'll go off on a great adventure, come home, and write a book about it. While Columbus' book (his log) as well as his body, evidently, are currently lost, this book sure seems realistic. It was a lot of fun trying to duplicate his voyage with modern charts to see if I could figure out his first landfall and any sailor will have fun doing the same since Columbus discovered the sailing routes still used.
I thought Columbus portrayed himself as an adventurer out for the discovery of gold and working for the king and queen who hired him, but what's so surprising about that? He was trying to substantiate the worth of his first trip and to convince Ferdinand and Isabella to send him again wasn't he?

indispensable for the student of the voyage...........2002-04-11

....and very easy to read. The English translation is very clear and put together from sources other than Las Casas, whose facts weren't always straight. For some reason the paragraphs are all center-justified and taper out oddly. Various theories about Columbus's landfall are discussed.

The one flaw is the introductory pieces that whitewash the man himself. Made out to be a bold, great hero, he was in actuality a gold-obsessed sailor, a poor mariner, a perpetual whiner whose crew could barely stand him, an intolerant European who assumed every land he touched belong to his King back in Spain, and of course the initiator of the slavery system in Espanola. His men built the first fortress in the so-called New World, and they brought several Native captives back to Spain. Fortunately, some of these events are mentioned in the Log itself.

Columbus Log.......2000-08-09

Fuson translated (and reconstructed where necessary) the logs of Columbus. Loaded with pictures, maps and explanatory comments this work gives us a look at the famous explorer in his own words. I'd guess this is the best and closest one could get to a primary source for Columbus's journals. This would be a great resource for teachers and students who cover the Discovery. Too bad it's out of print

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