Magellan

When the ships of the general commander reached the estuary of today’s Magellan strait north of Cape Horn, there were barely any provisions left, and life and death of the crew had been at the mercy of the weather. Magellan faced perpetual dangers – mutiny of his crew, storms, fights with natives. Yet he pressed on unswervingly: what had begun as an expedition to the Spice Islands ended in the first circumnavigation of the globe. Jostmann shines a light on political, social and cultural contexts. At the same time, and with great literary panache and profound knowledge of the available sources, the author tells the fascinating story of the dramatic events of the circumnavigation.