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A lavishly illustrated (with some 240 color and 96 bandw illustrations, photos, charts, and maps) complement to the PBS documentary of the same name, which, however, stands by itself as a thoughtful contribution to the literature of the Columbus quincentenary--drawing upon the knowledge of international experts in fields as diverse as navigation, religion, anthropology, the history of colonialism and trade, agriculture, and epidemiology, to explore the complexities of the Columbus legend. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

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Booklist Review

With the approach of the Columbus quincentennial, the opening salvo of new books on the subject is being launched, and readers bent on refreshing themselves on Columbian events and also realizing the controversies that yet surround the admiral and what he wrought will do well to investigate all three of these titles. Dor-Ner's splendid, oversize book is a companion to a seven-part PBS series to air in the fall of 1991 and again in 1992. For a survey of the man and his deeds and their aftereffects, it's excellently comprehensive, explaining in crisp text--augmented beautifully with riveting illustrations--the differences in viewing Columbus as "discoverer" or "encounterer" or "invader." Dyson's book is also in large format, also attractively illustrated, also issued in conjunction with a television series (this one for NBC, for airing in fall of 1991 and again in 1992), but its focus is more concentrated and contentious. The narrative follows the 1990 re-creation of Columbus' first voyage in an authentic replica of the Nina crewed by Spanish nautical students, but in the process, it asserts that Columbus faked the route he set down in his official logbook and that he actually had a secret map in his possession that enabled him to know exactly where he was going before he left! It is a marvelous story this book unravels, and it should be read straight through by anyone interested in keeping abreast of what's new in the Columbus arena. The two professors Phillips are specialists in Spanish history, and their book is by nature geared more to the serious reader than the previous books. Nonetheless, its appeal is not lost on people not of a scholarly persuasion. It is as "less a beginning than the continuation of a centuries-old human process of exploration and migration" that the authors view Columbus' enterprise; and it is the achievement of this book that it places with balance, discernment, and fullness Columbus' place within the trends swirling through the Europe of his day and the real nature of the collision his voyage instigated between two worlds. In this regard, the Phillipses carry on where the Dor-Ner survey leaves off, and their book is geared for individuals desiring a more exhaustive treatment of the issues. ~--Brad Hooper