Year in Review Books "Over the Edge of the World" Laurence Bergreen

In the second installment of the "best of" books for this year, I read Laurence Bergreen's "Over the Edge of the World," a biographical tracing of Ferdinand Magellan's epic circumnavigation of the world. The journey left the shores of the "Old World," in 1519 and arrived back in 1522.

It is hard to contemplate a world where it was not known for a fact that the earth was round, much less a world in which reliable navigation methods abounded. This is the world into which Magellan sailed for a shorter route to the "Spice Islands," trying to create a safer and more economical route for trade.

Magellan was a native to Portugal, the chief rival of the Spaniards in those days, and after offering Portugal his services and being turned down, Magellan turns to Spain. This choice caused trouble for him on both his native soil as well as his adopted country. Threading the needle of finding a sponsor became imperative and his voyage was not confirmed until almost too late.

After leaving the shores of Portugal, Magellan has to face down numerous challenges to his authority before he touches the shores of South America. The storytelling of Bergreen is excellent through out the book but his description of Magellan's leadership is stunning, even as throughly Machavellian in character.

It would be the threading of the tip of South America, finding a protected passage through the famed Tierra del Fuego (a mouthful for English speakers), the land of fire, that still bears witness of Magellan.

Magellan did not survive the voyage, but it was through his efforts that the circumnavigation of the world was accomplished. The description of the voyage was recorded by a certain onboard man by the name of Antonio Pigafetta who gave Bergreen ample resource to write such a book as this one is. Having said that, I must give warning...Pigafetta, while working with the trained eye of a geographer, he describes the land, the people and practices of those people with an unflinchingly accurate description that Bergreen records as well.

Extraordinary book.