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.
Also central to the story of Portugal s ascent was its drive to eradicate Islamic culture and establish a Christian empire in the Indian Ocean. Figures such as King Manuel the Fortunate, Joao II the Perfect Prince, 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. "Conquerors" reveals the Imperio Portugues in all of its splendor and ferocity, bringing to life the personalities of the enterprising and fanatical house of Aviz. Crowley relies on letters and eyewitness testimony to tell the story of tiny Portugal s rapid and breathtaking rise to power. Portugal s 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. Now, in "Conquerors, " 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 explorers a tactical advantage no other country could match. In "Empires of the Sea "and" City of Fortune, New York Times" bestselling author Roger Crowley established himself as our generation s preeminent historian of the great European seafaring empires, and the go-to author for post-Crusade clashes of East and West.
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