Magallanes

The famed Portuguese explorer, sailor and navigator Ferdinand Magellan has been hailed for centuries as a true hero: a noble adventurer who circumnavigated the globe in an extraordinary feat of human bravery. His name brings connotations related to science, entrepreneurship and success, not to mention that a global importance that transcends nationalism is claimed for his figure. But was it really so? Felipe Fernández-Armesto, in a dazzling and magnificent investigation, reveals to us a very different Magellan, a controversial figure who never proposed, let alone succeeded, in circumnavigating the world, who committed murders, wasted Crown resources, he negligently acted as captain general of the trip that made him famous, he assumed unnecessary risks that brought hunger, disease and defeat, he provoked riots, he had conduct towards the indigenous peoples that was at least controversial and whose only true ambition was none other than to exploit gold Philippine.