Over the Edge of the World

Laurence Bergreen

Jan 2004 · HarperAudio · Narrated by Laurence Bergreen

About this audiobook

A majestic tale of discovery thatchanged many long-held views about the world

In 1519 Magellan and his fleet of five ships set sail from Seville, Spain, to discover a water route to the fabled Spice Islands in Indonesia, where the most sought-after commodities -- cloves, pepper, and nutmeg -- flourished. Three years later, a handful of survivors returned with an abundance of spices from their intended destination, but with just one ship carrying eighteen emaciated men. During their remarkable voyage around the world the crew endured starvation, disease, mutiny, and torture. Many men died, including Magellan, who was violently killed in a fierce battle.

This is the first full account in nearly half a century of this voyage into history: a tour of the world emerging from the Middle Ages into the Renaissance; a startling anthropological account of tribes, languages, and customs unknown to Europeans; and a chronicle of a desperate grab for commercial and political power.

Ratings and reviews

Just finished a book about a man of European descent who quite literally changed the world. Unfortunately, his personality was at times unpleasant to some. He could be obnoxious, hard headed, belligerent and petty. He was not a gracious man. But he stood up to bureaucrats and when he couldn’t convince traditional and divisive politicians to support him, he beat them by going around them. He kept the prize in sight at all times. His behavior often irritated people and made them angry and mutinous. His rivals hated him, wanted him dead, wanted him gone, so they devised many plots against him. They fabricated stories and spread rumors about him. They were able to convince many good people that he was a bad, bad man and shouldn’t be trusted. They said he was in it only for himself, but others saw him differently, they supported him, and bolstered by their confidence, he went forward and did all the great things he promised he would do. He changed old world views, shattered myths that made people unnecessarily fearful and proved that the biggest threat to humanity was ignorance. His courage and tenacity brought honor and prosperity to his nation and his people. The year was 1519 and his name was Ferdinand Magellan, the greatest hero of the Age of Discovery, the man responsible for the first circumnavigation of Earth. The book is Laurence Bergreen’s “Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe.”

The book was interesting but the audio was haphazardly put together. It also has a major error. It's missing the part of Magellan's death! The end of chapter XI ends abruptly when Magellan wakes up and asks for more food. Chapter XII then starts and Megallan is already dead.

The audio book is missing several chapters, very annoying. The story is good though

About the author

Laurence Bergreen is the bestselling author of Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe and In Search of a Kingdom: Francis Drake, Elizabeth I, and the Perilous Birth of the British Empire. His other books include Columbus: The Four Voyages, 1492–1504; Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu; and Voyage to Mars: NASA’s Search for Life Beyond Earth. A graduate of Harvard, Bergreen lives in Manhattan.