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In 1492, Columbus stumbled across the Americas while looking for an eastern route to Asia. Thirty years later, Magellan succeeded where Columbus had failed. The three-year voyage was gruelling, as the lives of Magellan and two-thirds of the crew were lost, together with four of the fleet's five ships. However, in one fell swoop the expedition accomplished three of the most groundbreaking achievements to date: the discovery of a passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific; the first crossing of the Pacific; and the first circumnavigation of the globe. Taking advantage of the latest academic research, The Science of Magellan takes us through this journey and the 500-year-old naval science that made it possible, which was as advanced then as rocket science is today. The book also explores how these same ships underpinned the European expansion that followed, which shaped many of today's borders and led to the death and enslavement of millions.
List of contents
A smooth departure.- A rougher Atlantic crossing.- Out of Portuguese territories.- Sweet rather than salty.- Into the unknown.- The uprising.- Winter in Patagonia.- A bad ending to a great start.- A great ending to a bad start.- Crossing Earth s largest ocean.- Bad news.- Worse news.- The ambush.- The Moluccas.- The eastern dead-end.- Around the world.- The lucky seven percent get home.
About the author
I am a physicist. Forever torn between the academia and the real world, I spent most of my career with a foot on each, helping companies to grasp the latest developments in science and technology. In the meantime, over family dinners, I became enthralled by the research my father, a retired naval officer, was doing in the history of navigation. I found myself dedicating a growing part of my time to this field, with a particular focus on Magellan’s expedition and the impact it had in shaping our world. This book is the result of that decade-long fascination, one that I hope can bring to the real world the incredible details of the Science of Magellan, many of which have so far been trapped inside 16th century manuscripts and academic journals.
Summary
In 1492, Columbus stumbled across the Americas while looking for an eastern route to Asia. Thirty years later, Magellan succeeded where Columbus had failed. The three-year voyage was gruelling, as the lives of Magellan and two-thirds of the crew were lost, together with four of the fleet's five ships. However, in one fell swoop the expedition accomplished three of the most groundbreaking achievements to date: the discovery of a passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific; the first crossing of the Pacific; and the first circumnavigation of the globe. Taking advantage of the latest academic research, The Science of Magellan takes us through this journey and the 500-year-old naval science that made it possible, which was as advanced then as rocket science is today. The book also explores how these same ships underpinned the European expansion that followed, which shaped many of today's borders and led to the death and enslavement of millions.
