Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire
Roger Crowley
Hardcover
(Random House, Dec. 1, 2015)
In Conquerors, New York Times bestselling author Roger Crowley gives us the epic story of the emergence of Portugal, a small, poor nation that enjoyed a century of maritime supremacy thanks to the daring and navigational skill of its explorersâa tactical advantage no other country could match. Portugalâs discovery of a sea route to India, campaign of imperial conquest over Muslim rulers, and domination of the spice trade would forever disrupt the Mediterranean and build the first global economy. Crowley relies on letters and eyewitness testimony to tell the story of tiny Portugalâs rapid and breathtaking rise to power. Conquerors reveals the ImpĂ©rio PortuguĂȘs in all of its splendor and ferocity, bringing to life the personalities of the enterprising and fanatical house of Aviz. Figures such as King Manuel âthe Fortunate,â JoĂŁo II âthe Perfect Prince,â marauding governor Afonso de Albuquerque, and explorer Vasco da Gama juggled their private ambitions and the public aims of the empire, often suffering astonishing losses in pursuit of a global fortune. Also central to the story of Portugalâs ascent was its drive to eradicate Islamic culture and establish a Christian empire in the Indian Ocean. Portuguese explorers pushed deep into the African continent in search of the mythical Christian king Prester John, and they ruthlessly besieged Indian port cities in their attempts to monopolize trade. The discovery of a route to India around the horn of Africa was not only a brilliant breakthrough in navigation but heralded a complete upset of the world order. For the next century, no European empire was more ambitious, no rulers more rapacious than the kings of Portugal. In the process they created the first long-range maritime empire and set in motion the forces of globalization that now shape our world. At Crowleyâs hand, the complete story of the Portuguese empire and the human cost of its ambition can finally be told.Praise for Conquerors âExcellent . . . Crowleyâs interpretations are nuanced and fair.ââThe Christian Science Monitor âIn a riveting narrative, Crowley chronicles Portugal's horrifically violent trajectory from âimpoverished, marginalâ nation to European power, vying with Spain and Venice to dominate the spice trade.ââKirkus Reviews (starred review) âBrings to life the Portuguese explorers . . . perfect for anyone who likes a high seas tale.ââPublishers Weekly âReaders of Crowleyâs previous books will not be disappointed by this exciting tale of sea battles, land campaigns and shipwrecks. . . . Crowley makes a good case for reclaiming Portugalâs significance as forger of the first global empire.ââThe Daily Telegraph âCrowley has shown a rare gift for combining compelling narrative with lightly worn academic thoroughness as well as for balancing the human with the geopoliticalâqualities on display here. The story he has to tell may be a thrilling one but not every historian could tell it so thrillingly.ââMichael Prodger, Financial Times âA fast-moving and highly readable narrative . . . [Crowleyâs] detailed reconstruction of events is based on a close reading of the works of the chroniclers, notably Barros and Correa, whose accounts were written in the tradition of the chronicles of chivalry.ââHistory Today