The Last Crusade

by Cliff, Nigel

• ISBN13: 9780061735134
• ISBN10: 0061735132
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-08-28
• Publisher: Perennial

Summary

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 Crusadeis 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.

Author Biography

Nigel Cliff is a historian, biographer, and critic. His first book, The Shakespeare Riots, was selected as one of the best nonfiction books of the year by the Washington Post. He lives in London with his wife, the ballerina Viviana Durante, and their son.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. vii
Author's Note	p. ix
Prologue	p. 1
Origins
East and West	p. 11
The Holy Land	p. 31
A Family War	p. 50
The Ocean Sea	p. 70
The End of the World	p. 92
The Rivals	p. 121
Exploration
The Commander	p. 155
Learning the Ropes	p. 171
The Swahili Coast	p. 188
Riding the Monsoon	p. 213
Kidnap	p. 232
Dangers and Delights	p. 245
A Venetian in Lisbon	p. 272
Crusade
The Admiral of India	p. 227
Shock and Awe	p. 316
Standoff at Sea	p. 337
Empire of the Waves	p. 354
The King's Deputy	p. 375
The Crazy Sea	p. 390
Epilogue	p. 407
Acknowledgments	p. 422
Notes	p. 424
Select Bibliography	p. 512
Index	p. 527
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