The Last Voyage of Columbus

March 21, 2005
"For a guy who's been dead five centuries," says Dugard, "Columbus was very much a physical presence as I wrote this book." The author's Columbus—who engages in swashbuckling deeds of derring-do as he explores the Caribbean and Central America in his fourth and final voyage (1502–1504)—is a guy's guy. Spurning views of Columbus as a harbinger of genocide, Dugard (Into Africa
, etc.) senses virile, visionary boldness, a man "fuelled by focus and challenge." Unsullied by too much modern scholarship, this book is at heart a recasting of Washington Irving and Samuel Eliot Morison updated to appeal to readers of GQ
and Sports Illustrated
(for which Dugard has written). His is a sexy tale: Columbus flirts with the (much romanticized) queen Isabella; nautical mapmaking is "one of the world's sexiest new occupations." In a text that idolizes navigation skills, there are some geographical slipups (Syria isn't near the site of the Suez Canal), and petty-minded linguists will wonder about Dugard's translations ("La Huerta," for instance, is not "special garden"). Historians might puzzle over the claim that Granada was the "only vestige" of the Moorish invasion (Islam continued to be practiced widely in Spain until the early 16th century). But for those who enjoy exciting descriptions of shipwrecks, bloodshed, shark-infested waters and storms from hell, this may be beside the point. 2 maps. Agent, Eric Simonoff.

May 15, 2005
History has rarely been neutral in its regard of Christopher Columbus and his discovery of the New World. This lively and engaging work by best-selling author Dugard ("Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of " "Stanley and Livingstone") captures the essence of Columbus's era, including his travels, his travails, and the courtly intrigues of Spain, Portugal, and the Catholic Church. Columbus's status and titles, bequeathed to him by the Spanish monarchy upon discovery of the New World in 1492, had greatly diminished by 1502. Ferdinand and Isabella granted his fourth voyage (1502-04) partially to rid themselves of his insistent petitions for acknowledgment. As this vivid book explains, Columbus envisioned this voyage as a worldwide tour de force: sail to the New World, discover the passage to India, head onward to the Arabian Peninsula, and then return to Spain via the southern tip of Africa. The closest Columbus came to the Indian passage, however, was when he dropped anchor near the isthmus of Panama. This voyage was so extraordinary and harrowing, and the telling of it so compelling, that it is bound to capture the imagination of readers. Strongly recommended for all libraries. -Margaret Atwater-Singer, Univ. of Evansville Libs., IN

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2005
Adult/High School -Dugard's compelling account of European history in the concluding years of the 15th century is chock-full of the intrigue and manipulation that underscored various monarchies' race to control the world. Columbus is presented as a man of courage and perseverance who unwittingly became caught up in the various treacheries of the more political players around him. Along with Columbus and his family, Dugard introduces readers to such contemporaries as Vasco da Gama, Amerigo Vespucci, and Alonso de Ojeda. With its blend of adventure and intrigue, and its comprehensive character development, this book is highly readable, thoroughly enjoyable, and an excellent addition to any high-school biography collection. -"Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2005
Things fell apart for Christopher Columbus after 1492. At his nadir, he was manacled and returned to Spain for alleged misgovernment of Hispaniola, the colony he founded. This is the entry point for Dugard's chronicle of the explorer. Instead of the dungeon or worse, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella gave Columbus a new fleet and sanction to realize, once and for all, his ambition to blaze a westward route to China. Lasting from 1502 to 1504, this fourth and final voyage becomes, in Dugard's rendition, a vivid tally of adventure replete with maritime hazards, war with Indians, a shipwreck, a mutiny among the crew, and an astounding rescue mission. With apt details, Dugard re-creates the terrors and discomforts of the expedition, which coasted along Central America and ground to a halt in Jamaica. Instead of the ideological symbol he is viewed as today, Columbus emerges from Dugard's energetic narrative as totally human--imperfect and bent with arthritis yet still a charismatic mariner who will keep historians employed and readers reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)