Felipe Fernández-Armesto Knihy

Wereldatlas van de ontdekkingsreizen vanaf de 15e tot en met de 20e eeuw.

Presenting a narrative history of the world over the last thousand years from an imaginary distance, this book shows how a remote future age might see it, when everything that has happened will look different. The traditional Europe-centred world image is questioned.

We need a history of truth - though until now no-one has tried to write one. We need it to test the claim that truth is just a name for opinions which suit the demands of society of the convenience of elites. We need to be able to tell whether truth is changeful or eternal, embedded in time or outside it, universal or varying from place to place.We need to know how we got to where we are in the history of truth - how our society has come to lose faith in teh reality of it and lost interest in the search of it. We need a history of truth to illuminate the unique predicament of our times and to help us escape from it. Felipe Fernandez-Armesto argues and shows how - at different times and societies, people have tried to tell the differences. And he exposes the concepts of truth which have underpinned those techniques.

In 1507 the cartographer Martin Waldseemuller published a world map with a new continent on it which he called America', after the explorer and navigator Amerigo Vespucci. The map was a phenomenal success and when Mercator's 1538 world map extended the name to the northern hemisphere of the continent, the new name was secure, even though Waldseemuller himself soon realised he had picked the wrong man. This is the story of how one side of the world came to be named not after its discoverer Christopher Columbus, but after his friend and rival Amerigo Vespucci. Born in Florence in 1454 Vespucci had spent his youth as a dealer or agent for the great Medici family. Then in 1491 he followed his fellow-Italian Columbus to Seville. In Seville he continued as a Florentine agent but also helped Columbus get his ships ready for his second and third voyages. Although Amerigo himself later sailed on at least two voyages of his own and explored the coast of present-day Brazil, he excelled above all at self-invention and self-promotion. He saw himself as an explorer and navigator of genius, and his colourful travel writings sold much better than those of Columbus. He became Pilot Major of Spain in 1508 and died in 1512. Fernanzez-Armesto knows this period exceptionally well and he brings wonderfully to life the world of navigators, shipwrights, explorers, cartographers, agents, financiers and fixers

The book offers a groundbreaking perspective on world exploration, examining the journeys of pathfinders over the last five millennia. It highlights how these explorers established connections between distant corners of the globe, presenting a comprehensive history that integrates diverse cultures and regions. Fernández-Armesto's work is acclaimed for its ambitious scope and ability to contextualize exploration within a global framework, setting a new benchmark in historical scholarship.

In this biography, celebrated historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto meticulously scrutinizes surviving sources to reveal the true life of Ferdinand Magellan. The narrative he uncovers is stranger, darker, and more compelling than the celebrated fictional accounts. Contrary to popular belief, Magellan did not successfully complete a journey around the globe; during his lifetime, he was seen as a traitor, tyrant, and a failure. The book untangles the myths that transformed him into a hero, exposing the reality of his character and the passions that drove him toward adventure and disaster. It explores the evolution of his traits: pride turned to arrogance, daring to recklessness, determination to ruthlessness, romanticism to irresponsibility, and superficial piety to irrational exaltation in adversity. As the true Magellan emerges, so do his genuine ambitions, which were less about circumnavigating the world or dominating the spice market and more focused on exploiting Filipino gold. This work serves as a study in failure and highlights the paradox of Magellan's career, illustrating that renown does not always equate to merit but is often shaped by circumstance.

An extraordinary journey through the history of human imagination, from the dawn of civilisation to the present day

In Near a Thousand Tables, acclaimed food historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto tells the fascinating story of food as cultural as well as culinary history -- a window on the history of mankind. In this "appetizingly provocative" (Los Angeles Times) book, he guides readers through the eight great revolutions in the world history of food: the origins of cooking, which set humankind on a course apart from other species; the ritualization of eating, which brought magic and meaning into people's relationship with what they ate; the inception of herding and the invention of agriculture, perhaps the two greatest revolutions of all; the rise of inequality, which led to the development of haute cuisine; the long-range trade in food which, practically alone, broke down cultural barriers; the ecological exchanges, which revolutionized the global distribution of plants and livestock; and, finally, the industrialization and globalization of mass-produced food. From prehistoric snail "herding" to Roman banquets to Big Macs to genetically modified tomatoes, Near a Thousand Tables is a full-course meal of extraordinary narrative, brilliant insight, and fascinating explorations that will satisfy the hungriest of readers.

How could Geraldine resist the invitation from charming and enigmatic Ellis, especially as it includes travel on a private plane?It will be a glamorous change from her increasingly chaotic life, and a chance to meet his friends, as they reunite at their oldcollege in Indiana for a football game. Not that Geraldine is interested in sport, unless shopping counts. She’s jet-set readyand eager for take off. What can possibly go wrong?

A lucid, entertaining and story-filled romp through 400 years of Latin American and Spanish history.