Books about early exploration/colonization

[Winner]

Some time ago, I read this: Unknown Seas: How Vasco da Gama Opened the East

I have no idea how accurate it is, but I really liked the book and it made me intersted in this era - the early European exploration and colonization (let say the 15th/16th century timespan + some later exploration of Australasia/Oceania/Pacific).

Do you know about any similar works? The more readable the better

 

[Sharwood]

Not really. I've read a few, but it was years ago and their names escape me. The second book in Winston Churchill's History of the English-Speaking Peoples is titled The New World or some-such, it includes some information on it from a British standpoint, but that sounds like it's after the period you're interested in, and is fairly limited anyway. Readable though.

 

[JonathanStrange]

Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen -- a decent read, one I enjoyed. I bet most public libraries have it by now.

 

[Winner]

Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen -- a decent read, one I enjoyed. I bet most public libraries have it by now.

I think I heard about it, so thanks for the suggestion.

Anything else, anybody?

 

[Dachs]

This book is pretty good. I learned a lot from it.

 

[Winner]

This book is pretty good. I learned a lot from it.

Serious books, please

 

[Sharwood]

Serious books, please

Oh, the guy was perfectly serious writing it. That's the problem. Besides, you never specified that you wanted factual information.

 

[Winner]

Oh, the guy was perfectly serious writing it. That's the problem. Besides, you never specified that you wanted factual information.

Right

OK, I want books containing FACTUAL informations

 

[Crime Doesn't Pay]

Champlain's dream if you want to know about early French colonization of Quebec.
http://www.amazon.com/Champlains-Dr...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241180329&sr=1-1

 

[sydhe]

Here's one which includes a journal kept by a fra on Orellana's expedition

The Discovery Of The Amazon: According To The Account Of Friar Gaspar De Carvajal And Other Documents (Hardcover)
by Jose Toribio Medina (Author), H. C. Heaton (Editor), Bertram T. Lee (Translator)
http://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Ama...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241222172&sr=1-1

 

[sydhe]

And the log of Columbus's first voyage
http://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Columbus-Kessinger-Publishings-Reprints/dp/1432582933/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241222420&sr=1-4
Or all four voyages.
http://www.amazon.com/Four-Voyages-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241222420&sr=1-1

 

[sydhe]

Gaspar de Carvajal is the fra in Aguirre the Wrath of God, although in real life he accompanied Orellana, not Aguirre. Emphatically not to be confused with Francisco de Carvajal, a particularly brutal conquistador. Gaspar seems to have been a considerably more decent man than presented in the movie. He later protested the treatment of the Natives to the king of Spain. (Aguirre, if anything, was even worse than the madman in the movie.)

 

[innonimatu]

I'm playing with the idea of doing a modern english translation of Fernão Medes Pinto's "Peregrinação" (pilgrimage). While there are many good portuguese editions, the english the 17th century edition seems to be impossible to find, and a recent translation is, imho, absurdly expensive.

But I really don't know if translating an old book using modern vocabulary is a good idea. I'd be using my interpretation of the authors words, certainly doing many mistakes along the way, and deliberately discarding part of the information in order to make the book easier to read. The book has over 300 pages, so if I do decide to do this it'll take a while.
I'll probably check the current translation first. It it's any good there's little point in doing another.

 

[JonathanStrange]

I saw Aguirre The Wrath of God a couple of years back (a friend had it on VCR). Very impressive story of obsession and the quest for gold. Worth looking for, I'd say.

 

[citedon]

Samuel Elliot Morrison's "European Discovery of America" is a great read.