Hardcover: William Morrow, 2003
Expanded Trade Paperback: William Morrow, 2004
Brazil: Objetiva
Estonia: Tänapäev
England: HarperCollins UK
France: Grasset
Finland: John Nurminen Säätiö
Holland: De Bezige Bij
Hungary: General Press
Italy: Garzanti Libri
Korea: Hanamu
Poland: Rebis
Portugal: Bertrand
Spain: Planeta
New York Times Book Review
Prodigious research, sure-footed prose and vivid depictions make for a thoroughly satisfying account of the age in which Iberian seafarers groped their way around the world. Binding it all together is the psychology of Magellan's flawed leadership, the source of a sample link constant tension in his fleet. Driven by a fanatical dream to find the Spice Islands, Magellan was a frustrated Portuguese nobleman sailing for the king of Spain and a complicated man with absolute power of life and death over his crew. Almost five centuries after embarking on his world-changing voyage, he emerges here in the hands of a capable biographer who is simultaneously attracted and repelled by his excesses.... wondrous detail, a first-rate historical page turner.
Publisher's Weekly
... superbly recreates Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan's obsessive 16th-century quest... Illuminating the Age of Discovery, Bergreen writes this powerful tale of adventure with a strong presence and rich detail.
Library Journal
Biographer Bergreen (Louis Armstrong, Irving Berlin) sails where Magellan sailed and recaptures his life. A revisionist view—and also a cracking good tale.
Kirkus Reviews
A vivid account of Magellan’s star-crossed voyage around the world nearly five centuries ago. Fond of epic adventures and odd ducks alike, Bergreen (Voyage to Mars, 2000, etc.) finds a nice blend of the two in Ferdinand Magellan’s life and career... Bergreen writes, the expedition had an important effect not only in pointing the way to the Spice Island trade, but also in dispelling reigning myths about "mermaids, boiling water at the equator, and a magnetic island capable of pulling the nails from passing ships." Very nicely written through and through, and a pleasure for students of world exploration.
Accolades
· Amazon.com Bestseller
· Barnes & Noble Bestseller
· BookSense 76 Recommendation November-December 2003
· New York Times “ Notable Book”, 2004
· Nominated for an “Audie” award for best nonfiction book recording (BBC), 2005
