Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the World

Laurence Bergreen's gorgeously researched book, Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe, is an entertaining Age of Discovery history that blends rapturous discovery, paternalistic interaction with native cultures, disease, hardship and political machinations into a dramatic tale of exploration and death. A dear friend of mine turned me on to naval history books like Nathaniel Philbrick's winner, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex and I've been hooked since.

Bergreen's book tackles how Magellan's fleet became the first to circumnavigate the world despite multiple mutinies, Spanish-Inquisition-style punishments, scurvy, storms, improper maps and hostile enemies. He uses primary sources like captain's logs to piece together what happened, including an insightful account of the God-complex that ultimately led to Magellan's death as he attempted to force Christian conversion on an unwilling native culture and ended up hacked to bits for his trouble. Bergreen explores the motivation of the sailors aboard the ship and he explains how a fleet of five ships and more than 200 men set off...and a crippled ship with a skeleton crew of 18 returned.

I loved this book both for the actual reading enjoyment and for the high brow nerd factor. Though, between the two, I might say read In the Heart of the Sea first. It's been years since I read that one and I still recall the experience of reading it fondly.