The Log of Christopher Columbus by Steve Lowe (1992) Hardcover

by Christopher Columbus

In this new translation of Columbus' log of discovery, Robert Fuson is able to create a readable, accurate and deeply moving translation of Columbus' original log. A book for sailors, history buffs and students. Includes authentic charts and notes. 115 illustrations.

Genres: History, Biography, Travel, Nonfiction, Picture Books

Unknown Binding

About the author

Christopher Columbus (c. 1451–1506) was a Genoese navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. Although not the first to reach the Americas from Europe—he was preceded by the Norse, led by Leif Ericson, who built a temporary settlement 500 years earlier at L'Anse aux Meadows — Columbus initiated widespread contact between Europeans and indigenous Americans. With his four voyages of discovery and several attempts at establishing a settlement on the island of Hispaniola, all funded by Queen Isabella of Spain, he initiated the process of Spanish colonization which foreshadowed general European colonization of the "New World." (The term "pre-Columbian" is usually used to refer to the peoples and cultures of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus and his European successors.)

His initial 1492 voyage came at a critical time of growing national imperialism and economic competition between developing nation states seeking wealth from the establishment of trade routes and colonies. In this sociopolitical climate, Columbus's far-fetched scheme won the attention of Queen Isabella of Spain. Severely underestimating the circumference of the Earth, he estimated that a westward route from Iberia to the Indies would be shorter and more direct than the overland trade route through Arabia. If true, this would allow Spain entry into the lucrative spice trade — heretofore commanded by the Arabs and Italians. Following his plotted course, he instead landed within the Bahamas Archipelago at a locale he named San Salvador. Mistaking the North-American island for the East-Asian mainland, he referred to its inhabitants as "Indios".

Academic consensus is that Columbus was born in Genoa, though there are other theories. The name Christopher Columbus is the Anglicisation of the Latin Christophorus Columbus. The original name in 15th century Genoese language was Christoffa Corombo. The name is rendered in modern Italian as Cristoforo Colombo, in Portuguese as Cristóvão Colombo (formerly Christovam Colom), and in Spanish as Cristóbal Colón.

The anniversary of Columbus's 1492 landing in the Americas is observed as Columbus Day on October 12 in Spain and throughout the Americas, except that in the United States it is observed on the second Monday in October.

Reviews

[Scott Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Go to the source. Let Columbus speak for himself. And learn from the commentary by translator and Columbus scholar Robert H. Fuson.

The Prologue contains 3 chapters about the log, the man, and the ships. Then you can read the log translation itself, day by tedious day. Not a lot of exciting reading, but then Columbus wasn't trying to write a bestseller. He was reporting, as a sailor would, his travels and discoveries for the benefit of his sponsors, the "Sovereigns of Castile." Often he addressed the Highnesses directly in the log.

This book also includes maps, illustrations from various time periods, and multiple appendices of historic and geographic interest.

It took me a long time to finish this because of its nature, not compelling reading. I often put it aside. When I reached the chapter of the return voyage I put it down for a few months. But one day, as I happened upon it in its pile of books by my bed, I realized that it was Columbus Day, and a weekend. So I whizzed through the rest of the log and browsed the appendices.

All students should have to read some of this. It's just not fair to let students hear what everybody else says about Columbus, but not be shown what he said for himself.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been on my bucket list for 10 years! I finally buckled down and read it in a day. I skimmed over the introductory chapters and went straight for Columbus's daily journal.

Although much has been said about Columbus being only gold-hungry, and although I found many references to his search for gold, there was never a mean bone in this good man's body. His heart was set on getting to know the natives and learning to communicate with them. He references divine providence often and feels the natives are ready and hungry for Christianity to be preached to them. He says of them, "These people are very free from evil and war...if devout religious persons knew the Indian language well, all these people would soon become Christians."

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and educational. Easy to read and to understand, but very interesting.

[John McQuaid]

I'm going to write about some of the books I read all or part of in researching my own book on the science of taste and culinary history (Tasty: The Art and Science of What We Eat http://www.tastybook.net). I read significant portions of this translation of Columbus's log from his first voyage, looking for insights into his "discovery" of the chili pepper (which he named pimiento, or "pepper," though it's not related to black pepper). This was a significant event: he brought chilies back to Spain, and from there they were spread around the world in only a few decades. I don't think I can actually rate this book, since it's an historical document. But it's fascinating. Columbus comes across as both highly curious and opportunistic, eyeing ways to exploit everything he sees. In the case of the chili, he noted that it could be eaten in the mountains to keep warm, and suggested it would make a good export. In truth it was a fantastic export, just not a profitable one. Chilies are very easy to grow, so they became a global poor person's spice.

[Zora L. Kastner · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to give a review to something that is not a novel. You can't really put your personal taste in it, since it's just a state of facts. Columbus just wrote down his view of events, no one asked him to print it out for everyone to read.

So, this little log is interesting for everyone who just wants to get a glimpse of the past. There is lots of boring passages in it, Columbus is repeating himself quite a lot, but it's just what it is, a diary. I found it still entertaining and more than once I was stunned by Columbus'es simplicity and all the things he just got so wrong about his discovery. It was almost amusing.

Still I give it a star less. I wished the version I had to read here had more information in it and many more of the original writings of Columbus. Instead is was almost entirely a rewrite, pieced together by letters and single diary pages from Columbus, so that you don't really know, what he really wrote originally. I would prefer a mere collection of his original documents without the undertone of the re-writer.

But still a nice little look into the past.

[Victor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating detective work in defining Columbuse's own daily log as he went around the Carribean claimimg islands, hence deducting the actual stops with impressions of the new castilian subjects at each landfall.
One big, big drawback with this book, is that the maps are so poor to follow with the log. The maps and images are too filled in with black (not cleaned) to be of any use to the reader. The cartographic areas selected are too small with lots and lots of empty space to fill plus the annotation on the maps are terribly small to read. Maps are a complete disaster - just read the text it's worth it.

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's quite interesting to read Columbus' log. The Admiral of the Ocean Sea does not come across as the demon that some would portray him. This is a journal that has one foot in the middle ages and the other in modern times. Most interesting the the account of the first contacts with the native Americans.

[Larc]

Brian Omdahl recommended this title as a resource for history or social studies classrooms and their teachers.

[Deena Hypothesis]

Currently reading his "diary" for research/work. Waiting for detailed passages about missing his mother and fetish for indigenous women.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very interesting to me. His opinions of the natives were unique.

[Brian Swain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Columbus's own journal of the first (of his four) journeys to the "New World." Extremely interesting primary source.

[Otto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kiintoisaa historiallisehkoa aineistoa toki, mutta kehno kirjoittaja Kolumbus oli. Läpipaatunut imperialistin ajatusmaailma paikoin tragikoominen.