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Laurence Bergreen
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Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe Paperback – Deckle Edge, November 2, 2004

by Laurence Bergreen (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,982 ratings
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The riveting story of Ferdinand Magellan’s historic 60,000-mile ocean voyage

“Prodigious research, sure-footed prose and vivid descriptions make for a thoroughly satisfying account... it is all here in the wondrous detail, a first-rate historical page turner.”— New York Times Book Review

Ferdinand Magellan's daring circumnavigation of the globe in the sixteenth century was a three-year odyssey filled with sex, violence, and amazing adventure. Now in Over the Edge of the World, prize-winning biographer and journalist Laurence Bergreen entwines a variety of candid, firsthand accounts, bringing to life this groundbreaking and majestic tale of discovery that changed both the way explorers would henceforth navigate the oceans and history itself.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    458 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Perennial / HarperCollins
  4. Publication date
    November 2, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.82 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    006093638X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0060936389
  8. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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  1. Magellan’s skill in negotiating the entire length of the strait is acknowledged as the single greatest feat in the history of maritime exploration.
    Highlighted by 883 Kindle readers
  2. Fear was his most important means of motivating his men; they became more afraid of Magellan than the hazards of the sea.
    Highlighted by 458 Kindle readers
  3. In the end, the only peril he could not survive was the greatest of all: himself.
    Highlighted by 444 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A marvelous piece of scholarship” (New Zealand Herald)

From the Back Cover

Ferdinand Magellan's daring circumnavigation of the globe in the sixteenth century was a three-year odyssey filled with sex, violence, and amazing adventure. Now in Over the Edge of the World, prize-winning biographer and journalist Laurence Bergreen entwines a variety of candid, firsthand accounts, bringing to life this groundbreaking and majestic tale of discovery that changed both the way explorers would henceforth navigate the oceans and history itself.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Perennial / HarperCollins; Reprint edition (November 2, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 458 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 006093638X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060936389
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.82 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,982 ratings

About the author

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Laurence Bergreen

Laurence Bergreen

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Laurence Bergreen is the author of four biographies, each considered the definitive work on its subject: Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life, Capone: The Man and the Era, As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin, and Voyage to Mars: NASA's Search for Life Beyond Earth. A graduate of Harvard University, he lives in New York City.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
3,982 global ratings
Good book from beginning to end
4 Stars
Good book from beginning to end
I liked this book very much.Mr Bergreen did a good job on historical research on the people and places of this time period. I also appreciated the map to track the journey.My only complaint is the pages were cut quite sloppily. This of course is the publishers fault and not Mr Bergreen who did a marvelous job.
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Top reviews from the United States

Snowman
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating story
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2024
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Well written and fascinating story. Couldn’t syop reading, very interesting and historical facts put together in a great book. Captivating and adventures.
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J. Grattan
4.0 out of 5 stars A harrowing journey (3.75*s)
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2013
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This book is a good effort to capture the extraordinary, harrowing, three-year-long journey made by a Spanish armada of five ships in 1519, led by the determined Portuguese captain Ferdinand Magellan, in finding a westward path from Spain to the Spice Islands near the Philippines. Magellan's voyage is a part of the Age of Discovery that saw a concerted exploration of the Americas by the Europeans in the decades prior to 1519, at which point King Charles of Spain agreed to finance Magellan due to the possibilities of profiting handsomely from tons of exotic spices from the Spice Islands.

The fact that Magellan's armada actually circumnavigated the globe and did locate the Spice Islands almost defies belief. Huge obstacles were encountered at every turn. And, the fact that only one ship and 18 of the original 260 men who embarked on the journey actually made it back to Spain, testifies to the extreme difficulties and to their courage and perseverance. The biggest difficulty for the voyage was the sheer ignorance of what lay ahead. There were few maps and charts and most of them were wrong. The vast majority of people in that era believed in sea monsters and the flatness of the earth. The men of this voyage had to constantly deal with something new and usually dangerous.

They frequently encountered raging seas for days on end in creaking, leaking ships, being tossed about as toys. Their dealings with native peoples were tentative, never knowing whether they were friend or foe. The food supply for months on the open ocean was entirely inadequate with many sailors dying from scurvy - a lack of vitamin C. And then there was the politics of the voyage - the division between the Portuguese and the Spaniards, which resulted in constant mutinous behavior.

Little would be known about this journey were it not for a detailed pilot's log and the journal of a man who came along just to chronicle the journey. Magellan is depicted as resolute and rigid with complete devotion to King Charles and the Catholic Church. There is no doubt that his unbending personality got him into trouble with the crew and the other captains, and most certainly led to his death in Philippines as he attempted to coerce a native leader. However, it is his strength and his ability to deal with any situation that enabled the voyage to achieve some measure of success.

The book is interesting but does get bogged down at various times in the course of the journey - a violent storm is a violent storm. A definite shortcoming of the book is the absence of maps that would permit the reader to follow Magellan's wanderings. There are interesting details such as the brief dominance of the seas by the Chinese in the century before Magellan and the more lurid details of methods of torture and the sexual practices of various native cultures. The author's task is difficult: to make real a journey occurring 500 years ago stretching over three years with limited information available. It would leave anyone open to criticism.
5 people found this helpful
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George W.
5.0 out of 5 stars Good product
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024
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Easy to read the text size.
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Jerry Gonzales
5.0 out of 5 stars Very detailed and interesting story of Magellan.
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2024
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The book is very well researched and written.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book - amazing true tale of human achievement
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2023
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Excellent and exhaustive history of Magellan’s voyage. The research and dedication to the copious detail is utterly amazing in his telling of this amazing and world-changing expedition.
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E. Baxter
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic journey through Magellan's around-the-globe adventure
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2014
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Deceit, betrayal, danger, power struggles, murderous plots... And that's before Magellan even leaves dry land and sets out on his circumnavigation of the world. Bergreen's telling of the unparalleled journey of Magellan and his crew sucked me in immediately and never let go. The struggle between the European powers, particularly Spain and Portugal is fascinating. Magellan is a man of destiny wedged between the jaws of the two. Bergreen takes us through his early military exploits, introducing us to Magellan's bravery and foolheartedness simultaneously. In these aspects of Ferdinand Magellan's character lie the seeds of tragedy. We see him woo royalty and set sail over the edge of the world on a mission to establish a trade route and return with the lucrative spices which drive much of Europe's economy. Finding their own source of these spices will allow the European powers to wrest the spice monopoly from the Arabs and Muslim powers and win control of their destinies. The journey has no lack of obstacles. By land, Magellan and his men face hungry cannibals, native allies (or are they enemies, or both). By sea, the crews sail through the roughest seas on earth, battling storms which can last for weeks, enduring starvation and scurvy, all while navigating through the most difficult and unmapped rocky dangers of the globe. Magellan is both man and monster to his crew. With the Portuguese navy at his back always hunting and an unimagineably vast Pacific ocean before him, Magellan must contend with mutiny within his own fleet. Bergreen does a wonderful job of explaining the intrigue and major players at each league of the journey. Magellan reaches a confusing array of islands only to find that the natives' politics and power struggles mirror his own tumultuous Europe. Again he has no map and must navigate these strange corridors of power by his wits. Friend and foe are fluid. Magellan's crew becomes disillusioned. Is Magellan there for the riches and fame brought by the exotic spices or as a hammer of God against a pagan world? Tragedy strikes when Magellan allows his hubris to overcome his humility. The shifting leadership of the fleet is well examined here and the dire situation faced by the fleet made very clear. By the time the remains of Magellan's crew return to Spain, they have endured one of history's greatest stories of suvival. Bergreen's telling of this human drama is very well done. He relies on the expedition's main chronicler as well as a wide variety of other sources to bring the adventure to life. He makes the details of ocean navigation, sailing, and life aboard clear and vibrant. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. You shouldn't miss this adventure for the world.
17 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Cliente Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
Reviewed in Brazil on April 6, 2024
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It is a great book. A amazing history of theses greatest men. An exemple of courage. This is part of our history.
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brian tolman
5.0 out of 5 stars Historical exploration .
Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2023
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Great piece of history, very well told.
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m
5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2024
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Only read the first 100 pages but this is right up my street. I love the detail however very easy to read. My interest is Elcano, the first single journey circumnavigator, so hoping there is some information.
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Andrew Feeney
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Spain on October 21, 2019
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Thoroughly enjoying it
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J. Marshall
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb page-turner
Reviewed in Germany on October 1, 2018
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This is probably the best book I've read in a long time. A very informative and gripping rendering of a momentous, real-life event.

A must-read for any hobby historian or armchair adventurer.
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