Synopses & Reviews
HistorianNigel Cliff delivers a sweeping, radical reinterpretation of Vasco da Gamaspioneering voyages, revealing their significance as a decisive turning point inthe struggle between Christianity and Islam—a series of events which foreveraltered the relationship between East and West. Perfect for readers of Endurance:Shackletons Incredible Voyage, GalileosDaughter, and Atlantic, this first-ever completeaccount of da Gamas voyages includes new information from the recentlydiscovered diaries of his sailors and an extraordinary series of lettersbetween da Gama and the Zamorin, a king of modern-dayKerala, India. Cliff, the author of The Shakespeare Riots, draws uponhis own travels in da Gamas footsteps to add detail, authenticity, and acontemporary perspective to this riveting, one-of-a-kind historical epic.
Review
“Lively and ambitious . . . Cliff has a novelists gift for depicting character . . . he brings 16th century Portugal in all its splendor and squalor pungently to life.” Eric Ormsby, New York Times Book Review
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“A fresh take on the history of the age of discovery . . . Cliff opens new vistas on much-explored territory.” Publishers Weekly
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“Epic . . . a compelling adventure tale, told by Cliff with the right mix of sweep and detail.” BookPage
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“Nigel Cliffs Holy War is one of the most readable, engaging, and provoking books of the season, hands down . . . Cliff . . . writes with considerable energy, humor and narrative skill.” Kansas City Star
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“A story told with great flair and serious scholarship.” James Eckardt, The Nation
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“Cliff tells an often thrilling tale of adventure . . . He effectively restores the luster of da Gamas achievement and provocatively reassesses the goals and significance of his expedition.” Booklist
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“Readers who enjoy a yeasty narrative by a skilled storyteller will mark this book as one of their favorites of the year.” Cleveland Plain Dealer
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“A useful addition to a continuing lively discussion of Christianity and Islam, situated both in respect of religions and culture, as well as empires and trade.” Kirkus
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“A stirringly epic book…a thrilling narrative…This is broad-brush history, but it is accurate, and enlivened by splendid spots of color.” Sunday Times (London)
Synopsis
In 1498, a Portuguese sea captain discovered a long-hidden secret: the sea route from Europe to the Indies. But while seeking out the fabled wealth of the East, da Gama and his crew faced storms, disease and the threat of attack from Muslim ships at a time when tensions between Islam and Christianity were especially high. In Holy War, Nigel Cliff reveals a radically new interpretation of da Gama's discovery and its impact on world history.
Cliff argues that both da Gama and his archrival Christopher Columbus saw themselves as economic Crusaders, hoping to not only claim the territories they discovered, but also to seize control of the markets in spices and silks that made their Muslim rivals wealthy. This set in motion a turning point in the struggle between Christianity and Islam that would change the fate of three continents. Filled with adventure, intrigue and treachery, Holy War exposes the deep roots of a conflict between West and East that continues to this day.
Nigel Cliff is a historian, biographer, and critic. Born in Manchester, England, he was educated at Oxford University, where he won the Beddington Prize for English Literature. He is a former theater and film critic and feature writer for the London Times and a contributor to The Economist and other publications. His first book, The Shakespeare Riots, was a finalist for the National Award for Arts Writing, and was named by the Washington Post as one of the best nonfiction books of 2007. He lives in London with his wife, the ballerina Viviana Durante.
--Booklist
Synopsis
In 1498 a young captain named Vasco da Gama sailed from Portugal, circumnavigated Africa, crossed the Indian Ocean, and discovered the sea route to the Indies and, with it, access to the fabled wealth of the East. It was the longest voyage ever undertaken at that time. With blood-red Crusader crosses emblazoned on their sails, the explorers arrived in the heart of the Muslim East in an era when the old hostilities between Christianity and Islam had risen to a new level of intensity. In two voyages that spanned six years, da Gama would fight a running sea battle that would ultimately change the fate of three continents.
The Last Crusade is an epic tale of spies, intrigue, and treachery—of bravado, brinkmanship, and confused, often comical collisions between cultures—offering a surprising new interpretation of the broad sweep of history.
About the Author
Nigel Cliff is a historian, biographer, and critic. He was educated at Oxford University, where he was awarded the Beddington Prize for English Literature. He is a former theater and film critic for the London Times and a contributor to the Economist and other publications. His first book, The Shakespeare Riots, was a finalist for the National Award for Arts Writing and was selected as one of the best nonfiction books of 2007 by the Washington Post. He lives in London with his wife, the ballerina Viviana Durante.