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: Magellan himself and two-thirds of the crew lost their lives, along with four of the fleets five ships. However, in one sitting the expedition accomplished three groundbreaking achievements: the discovery of a passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific; the first crossing of the Pacific; and the first circumnavigation of the globe. Drawing on the latest research, The Revolution of Magellan takes us through this physical revolution around the planet and the 500-year-old naval science that made it possible, which was as revolutionary then as rocket science is today. The book also explores how this technological turning point underpinned the wave of European expansion that followed, leading to the death and enslavement of millions and shaping many of todays borders.
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 Earths largest ocean.- Bad news.- Worse news.- The ambush.-
The Moluccas.- The eastern dead-end.- Around the world.- The lucky seven
percent get home.
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 Magellans 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.
