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Holy War, September 2011
Hardcover / e-Book
How Vasco da Gama's Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations
Harper
September 2011
On Sale: September 6, 2011
560 pages ISBN: 0061735124 EAN: 9780061735127 Kindle: B005FFV2O8 Hardcover / e-Book
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Historical | Non-Fiction
A sweeping historical epic and a radical new
interpretation of Vasco da Gama’s groundbreaking voyages,
seen as a turning point in the struggle between Christianity
and Islam In 1498 a young captain 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 known to history. The little ships were pushed beyond
their limits, and their crews were racked by storms and
devastated by disease. However, their greatest enemy was
neither nature nor even the sheer dread of venturing into
unknown worlds that existed on maps populated by coiled,
toothy sea monsters. With bloodred Crusader crosses
emblazoned on their sails, the explorers arrived in the
heart of the Muslim East at a time when the old hostilities
between Christianity and Islam had risen to a new level of
intensity. In two voyages that spanned six years, Vasco da
Gama would fight a running sea battle that would ultimately
change the fate of three continents. An epic tale of
spies, intrigue, and treachery; of bravado, brinkmanship,
and confused and often comical collisions between cultures
encountering one another for the first time; Holy War
also offers a surprising new interpretation of the broad
sweep of history. Identifying Vasco da Gama’s arrival in the
East as a turning point in the centuries-old struggle
between Islam and Christianity—one that continues to shape
our world—Holy War reveals the unexpected truth that
both Vasco da Gama and his archrival, Christopher Columbus,
set sail with the clear purpose of launching a Crusade whose
objective was to reach the Indies; seize control of its
markets in spices, silks, and precious gems from Muslim
traders; and claim for Portugal or Spain, respectively, all
the territories they discovered. Vasco da Gama triumphed in
his mission and drew a dividing line between the Muslim and
Christian eras of history—what we in the West call the
medieval and the modern ages. Now that the world is once
again tipping back East, Holy War offers a key to
understanding age-old religious and cultural rivalries
resurgent today.
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