Columbus on Himself

(Paperback)

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Description

Columbus on Himself presents Columbus' life and voyages through his own self-perception and personal history, as often as possible, by way of his own surviving writings. The selections of Columbus' writings included in this volume were carefully chosen based on their authenticity as well as their autobiographical and self-revelatory nature and include fragments from his 'first voyage,' personal letters, and preparations for his third Atlantic crossing. This text is also heavily illustrated and includes maps of Columbus' routes across the Atlantic and his travels in the West Indies among others.

Reviews

Columbus had been the subject of many biographies, but the approach of Columbus on Himself is unique. Fernndez-Armesto has created, as far as it is possible, an account of Christopher Columbus's life based on his own words. Columbus left far more potentially autobiographical writings than his contemporary explorers from the age of European expansion, but there are gaps in the record. Fernndez-Armesto has arranged Columbus's writings chronologically so readers can see Columbus's development, and intersperses them with his insightful commentary. The translations are Fernndez-Armesto's own. Recommended. --R. Fritze, Athens State University, in Choice

Author Bio

Felipe Fernndez-Armesto is Professor of Global Environmental History at Queen Mary, University of London, and a member of the Faculty of Modern History at Oxford University. He is also Principe de Asturias Chair in Spanish Culture and Civilization at Tufts University.