Acknowledgements; A note on names; 1. The worlds of Christopher Columbus; 2. Old worlds in isolation; 3. The quest for trade and Christians; 4. Tools of expansion; 5. Columbus's early years in Genoa and Portugal; 6. Columbus in Spain; 7. The first voyage; 8. Columbus and the New World; 9. Conquest and colonisation: Spain in the Caribbean; 10. Coercion and commerce: the birth of Empire; 11. The post-Columbian world; Bibliography; Index.
"William D. Phillips, Jr., and Carla Rahn Phillips have expertly
set this biography of Christopher Columbus within the context of
the fourteenth and fifteenth-century 'worlds' that Columbus drew
together into the single world of modern times by crossing the
Atlantic to the West Indies in 1492...I judge this volume to be one
of the best efforts so far to set forth Columbus's life, the milieu
that makes it understandable, and the consequences that make it
significant." American Historical Review
"Their focus, as the title implies, is less on Columbus the man
than on the historical circumstances within which he
operated...Within this larger area, however, the book is magistral;
very dense, with helpful notes at every turn. Maps prepared by the
cartographic laboratory at the University of Minnesota closely
substantiate the argument of the text...we shall need to turn to
the Phillipses to track things down in detail." The Journal of
American History
"This book is a wonderful synthesis of Christopher Columbus and his
times." Colonial Latin American Historical Review
"The Worlds of Christopher Columbus is a balanced, intelligent, and
meticulously researched work examining the life and legacy of
Columbus within the broad context of European exploration.
Christian theology, and Spanish empire building....This is a
fascinating book for anyone wanting to understand the motives and
methods of the Spanish explorers and the development of a global
trading system. Nominated for several awards, The Worlds of
Christopher Columbus appears destined to become a modern classic."
Village View
"The Phillipses succeed in their aim of presenting a balanced view,
which they hope will challenge the equally distorting myths of
Columbus as hero or as villain....This readable though scholarly
work is recommended for public and academic libraries seeking not
just a biography but a history of European exploration before
Columbus." Library Journal
"It is as 'less a beginning than the continuation of a
centuries-old human process of exploration and migration' that the
authors view Columbus' enterprise; and it is the achievement of
this book that it places with balance, discernment and fullness
Columbus' place within the trends, swirling through the Europe of
his day and the real nature of the collision his voyage instigated
between two worlds." Booklist
"Biographers have gathered like buzzards over Columbus's bones. Two
ways of scattering the buzzards and scotching the myths are
demonstrated by William D. Phillips, Jr. and Carla Rahn Phillips:
stick to the primary sources and locate Columbus in his proper
contexts, those indicated by the title of their book, `The Worlds
of Christopher Columbus.'" The New York Times Book Review
"...an excellent synthesis of scholarly writings on Columbus. The
work is especially valuable for its discussion of Columbus's years
in Portugal and his experiences as a seafarer on Portuguese voyages
into the Atlantic." Carl A. Hanson, San Antonio Light
"The Worlds of Christopher Columbus, by Carla Rahn Phillips and
William D. Phillips, will become the standard one-volume work on
its subject: namely, Columbus in the history of Europe and the New
World. The authors incorporate the latest scholarship available,
and they understand that, before a historian can begin to praise or
condemn, he must understand and explain." Washington, DC Times
"The Worlds of Christopher Columbus unquestionably stands out in
the recent tide of literature on Columbus and the early Spanish
expansion in the Americas, thanks to William and Carla Phillips's
meticulous use of the evidence and their systematic endeavor to set
the Columbus story into a broader historical context. The resulting
reconstruction displays qualities that make the book indispensable
and stimulating for the specialist and attractive to the general
reader....probably the most useful study of Columbus currently
available to English-speaking readers. It promises to exercise a
powerful influence both in research and in teaching. Given its
accessibility, clarity, and helpful documentation, it will
certainly fulfill its mission of presenting 'the best evidence
about Columbus and his worlds to a broad reading public' (p. ix),
one of the ideals behind the recent and controversial Columbian
Quincentenary." Ivana Elbl, Journal of World History
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