Holy War: How Vasco da Gama's Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations

In this fresh take on the history of the age of discovery, British historian Cliff (The Shakespeare Riots) not only recovers the story of Vasco da Gama's voyages (long overshadowed by Columbus's) for our times. He also uncovers da Gama's complex motives. In 1498, his fleet he set sail ; from Lisbon to open a sea route from Europe to Asia and "unlock the age-old secrets of the spice trade," but also to reconquer Jerusalem from the Muslims and bring the Second Coming. After almost a year on the seas, tossed about by heavy storms and ravaged by disease and lack of food and water, the fleet found its way to India, which da Gama helped to conquer for Portugal. Yet, as Cliff points out, da Gama's men had arrived in India not just to acquire wealth; they were the new crusaders. They began as soon as they landed to push out the Muslim merchants and establish Christianity as the dominant religion. Da Gama's voyages, says Cliff, were the dividing line between the eras of Muslim ascendancy%E2%80%94the Middle Ages%E2%80%94and of Christian ascendancy%E2%80%94the modern age. Though occasionally digressive, Cliff's historical sketch opens new vistas on much-explored territory. 8 pages of color illus.; printed endpaper map. (Sept.)