Publisher's Synopsis
As Germán Arciniegas, the author of this book, points out, no important historical event happens suddenly. The discovery of America was the result of a long process of practical and intellectual exploration. Columbus broke the ground and a decade later, Vespucci placed the new-found lands on the map. Another decade passed and Balboa reached the Pacific Ocean, and ten years later, when Magellan realised the first circumnavigation of the world, all of the previous geographical speculation fell into place. Nevertheless, the man for whom America is named, the second link in this chain of explorers, is still one of the least known figures in the history of the great discovery. Curious about the man behind the historical personage, Arciniegas set out to investigate his life. This remarkable book, a compilation of the discoveries of Vespucci, reveals a whole epoch to us, that of the Renaissance, through a portrait of an extraordinary man, one who is very different from the one displayed by the fanaticism of his admirers or the malice of his critics. Instead, we find a fascinating and discreet figure, who moved with ease through the contrasting worlds of the royal courts, the great banking houses and the adventurous mariners of this epoch. This book will bring pleasure to any reader who wants to learn more about the history of our world and the men who changed its course.
