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The Last Voyage of Columbus: Being the Epic Tale of the Great Captain's Fourth Expedition, Including Accounts of Mutiny, Shipwreck, and Discovery
The Year is 1500. Christopher Columbus, stripped of his title Admiral of the Ocean Seas, waits in chains in a Caribbean prison built under his orders, looking out at the colony that he founded, nurtured, and ruled for eight years. Less than a decade after discovering the New World, he has fallen into disgrace, accused by the royal court of being a liar, a secret Jew, and a foreigner who sought to steal the riches of the New World for himself.
The tall, freckled explorer with the aquiline nose, whose flaming red hair long ago turned gray, passes his days in prayer and rumination, trying to ignore the waterfront gallows that are all too visible from his cell. And he plots for one great escape, one last voyage to the ends of the earth, one final chance to prove himself. What follows is one of history's most epic -- and forgotten -- adventures. Columbus himself would later claim that his fourth voyage was his greatest. It was without doubt his most treacherous. Of the four ships he led into the unknown, none returned. Columbus would face the worst storms a European explorer had ever encountered. He would battle to survive amid mutiny, war, and a shipwreck that left him stranded on a desert isle for almost a year.
On his tail were his enemies, sent from Europe to track him down. In front of the unknown. Martin Dugard's thrilling account of this final voyage brings Columbus to life as never before-adventurer, businessman, father, lover, tyrant, and hero.
The tall, freckled explorer with the aquiline nose, whose flaming red hair long ago turned gray, passes his days in prayer and rumination, trying to ignore the waterfront gallows that are all too visible from his cell. And he plots for one great escape, one last voyage to the ends of the earth, one final chance to prove himself. What follows is one of history's most epic -- and forgotten -- adventures. Columbus himself would later claim that his fourth voyage was his greatest. It was without doubt his most treacherous. Of the four ships he led into the unknown, none returned. Columbus would face the worst storms a European explorer had ever encountered. He would battle to survive amid mutiny, war, and a shipwreck that left him stranded on a desert isle for almost a year.
On his tail were his enemies, sent from Europe to track him down. In front of the unknown. Martin Dugard's thrilling account of this final voyage brings Columbus to life as never before-adventurer, businessman, father, lover, tyrant, and hero.
322 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2005
246 people are currently reading
1754 people want to read
About the author
Martin Dugard
56 books393 followersMartin Dugard is the New York Times #1 bestselling author of the Taking Series — including Taking Berlin (2022) and Taking Paris (2021).
Book Two in the Taking series is titled Taking Berlin, covering the final nine months of World War II in Europe. Taking Berlin goes on sale November 1, 2022.
He is also the co-author of the mega-million selling Killing books, the bestselling non-fiction series in history: Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, Killing Jesus, Killing Patton, Killing Reagan, Killing England, Killing the Rising Sun, Killing the SS, Killing Crazy Horse, Killing the Mob, and the upcoming Killing the Killers.
Other works include the New York Times bestseller The Murder of King Tut (with James Patterson; Little, Brown, 2009); The Last Voyage of Columbus (Little, Brown, 2005); Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone (Doubleday, 2003), Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook (Pocket Books, 2001), Knockdown (Pocket Books, 1999), and Surviving the Toughest Race on Earth (McGraw-Hill, 1998). In addition, Martin lived on the island of Pulau Tiga during the filming of Survivor's inaugural season to write the bestselling Survivor with mega-producer Mark Burnett.
Book Two in the Taking series is titled Taking Berlin, covering the final nine months of World War II in Europe. Taking Berlin goes on sale November 1, 2022.
He is also the co-author of the mega-million selling Killing books, the bestselling non-fiction series in history: Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, Killing Jesus, Killing Patton, Killing Reagan, Killing England, Killing the Rising Sun, Killing the SS, Killing Crazy Horse, Killing the Mob, and the upcoming Killing the Killers.
Other works include the New York Times bestseller The Murder of King Tut (with James Patterson; Little, Brown, 2009); The Last Voyage of Columbus (Little, Brown, 2005); Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone (Doubleday, 2003), Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook (Pocket Books, 2001), Knockdown (Pocket Books, 1999), and Surviving the Toughest Race on Earth (McGraw-Hill, 1998). In addition, Martin lived on the island of Pulau Tiga during the filming of Survivor's inaugural season to write the bestselling Survivor with mega-producer Mark Burnett.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
March 7, 2013
I love books about explorers, for some reason - I've read about Magellan and Shackleton. I love books about ships - I really enjoy Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander series. I have no idea what it is that draws me to these sorts of topics, but it's no surprise that I picked this book up. So much more was going on with Columbus than just bumping around in the Caribbean looking for new lands - he was caught up in political plots much larger than himself, and just when he thought he would settle down to a quiet life, he was essentially forced into this fourth voyage of exploration.
This was a really fast read - the only parts that slowed me down were keeping straight some of the various people who were conspiring against Columbus (there were a lot of them). Everyone in the book is presented as a multi-faceted human, from Isabella and Ferdinand, to members of Columbus' crew, to the natives they encountered in different parts of the New World. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in history and exploration, or anyone just looking for an engaging non-fiction read.
This was a really fast read - the only parts that slowed me down were keeping straight some of the various people who were conspiring against Columbus (there were a lot of them). Everyone in the book is presented as a multi-faceted human, from Isabella and Ferdinand, to members of Columbus' crew, to the natives they encountered in different parts of the New World. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in history and exploration, or anyone just looking for an engaging non-fiction read.
March 2, 2023
I like to dig into my older books during Lent. This non-fiction about the infamous Christopher Columbus was a fascinating read. The extended title says it all: Being the Epic Tale of the Great Captain’s Fourth Expedition, Including Accounts of Swordfight, Mutiny, Shipwreck, Gold, War, Hurricane, and Discovery. And for what it is worth, we don’t really know what he looked like, as he never had his portrait done. Any images are pure inventions.
May 16, 2024
Exciting
What are the exceptional book. I learned so much about Columbus that I never knew before. Like he was called Admiral Columbus by all the sailors who sailed with him
I think this would be a really good book because of all the calamities that he fought through.
I really enjoyed the book and it had lots of incredible detail.
What are the exceptional book. I learned so much about Columbus that I never knew before. Like he was called Admiral Columbus by all the sailors who sailed with him
I think this would be a really good book because of all the calamities that he fought through.
I really enjoyed the book and it had lots of incredible detail.
September 6, 2010
It was a good book but not particularly deep or thought provoking. This can best be seen and read as an introduction to the life of Columbus rather than an exhaustive analysis of the Admiral's last voyage. I enjoyed but it was more a distracted enjoyment rather than anything comprehensive. Again we have a narrative history when an analytical one would have suited better.
Worth a look.
Worth a look.
February 4, 2020
Red Peppers?!
Interesting. Certainly, Dugard has done an excellent job of his research in this book about Columbus and his voyages. Much of the first part of the book is more of a summarization and explanation of his earlier life and discoveries. But, all of that is mere horizon when the reader embarks on that final voyage with Columbus. The discoverer has been in turns glorified and vilified by subsequent generations, and today the honor is often lost by uninformed superimposition of today's struggles on a foregone world. But, I feel that Dugard has exposed much historical truth in his detailed coverage of Columbus' journals and modern day scientific investigation.
I learned much in this highly recommendable book and would not hesitate to re-read it in the future, since it breathes life into a forgotten era of American history. Also, I always wondered how Amerigo Vespucci entered the historical picture. Even Columbus' sons are treated in this contextual history of the discovery of the 'Fourth Continent.'
I read the Audible version narrated by John McDonough in excellent quality and voice. For some reason, I kept forgetting that I was not listening to George Guidall. I thought he has much the same voice quality and tone. I don't know if that was just me, or if there is really some similarity. But, either way I enjoyed it immensely.
Interesting. Certainly, Dugard has done an excellent job of his research in this book about Columbus and his voyages. Much of the first part of the book is more of a summarization and explanation of his earlier life and discoveries. But, all of that is mere horizon when the reader embarks on that final voyage with Columbus. The discoverer has been in turns glorified and vilified by subsequent generations, and today the honor is often lost by uninformed superimposition of today's struggles on a foregone world. But, I feel that Dugard has exposed much historical truth in his detailed coverage of Columbus' journals and modern day scientific investigation.
I learned much in this highly recommendable book and would not hesitate to re-read it in the future, since it breathes life into a forgotten era of American history. Also, I always wondered how Amerigo Vespucci entered the historical picture. Even Columbus' sons are treated in this contextual history of the discovery of the 'Fourth Continent.'
I read the Audible version narrated by John McDonough in excellent quality and voice. For some reason, I kept forgetting that I was not listening to George Guidall. I thought he has much the same voice quality and tone. I don't know if that was just me, or if there is really some similarity. But, either way I enjoyed it immensely.
December 21, 2024
The book opens with a scene in Oct 1500 at Santa Domingo, where Columbus was in chain in jail where he was supposed to be the Governor of La Espanola, which he discovered 8 years ago.
As a chart maker, Columbus was at the forefront of geographical knowledge. He was also living in a turning point in history, a time when the medieval world’s fixation on the hereafter was being replaced by the Renaissance sensual focus on the here and now. Spices was the currency of that transition. 1 pound of nutmeg was equal trade for seven fattened oxen. A new definition of taste also arises for the rich. So when Columbus couldn’t find any exotic spices in the new world, he brought back a quantity of brightly colored dried chilies and rechristened them red peppers in his presentation to the sovereigns.
A week and a half before Columbus finally began his third voyage. The Portuguese Vasco de Gama sailed the Gabrielle into port at Culicut on Southwest Coast of India and was enthusiastically met by the local ruler. This should have made Columbus that much more important for the Spanish monarchs. However, Columbus was the victim of politics and, when a new administrator Ferdinand and Isabela sent arrived, he was thrown into jail where we found at the beginning of the book. It took a trip back to homeland and petition to the monarchs themselves to clear Columbus and restore him to honor.
Thereafter, Columbus wanted to circumnavigate the world and eventually launched his fourth and final voyage (1502-1504) with 140 crew. In this voyage, he encountered severe storms, deep waters (how he named present day Honduras), hostile locals, a shipwreck, mutinies, shipworms that stranded the party in an island for a whole year, and drama that comes straight out of fiction (Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s court): allegedly, he used a dramatic prediction of a lunar eclipse to convince local Indians to keep supplying food to his crew.
Alas, when the great explorer died, his exploration was minimized by King Ferdinand (the one with a soft spot for Columbus has always been Isabella, and Columbus’s descendants didn’t help the matter by suing the King). The continent that might have been called something like Columbia was later named in honor of another Italian Amerigo Vespucci.
As a chart maker, Columbus was at the forefront of geographical knowledge. He was also living in a turning point in history, a time when the medieval world’s fixation on the hereafter was being replaced by the Renaissance sensual focus on the here and now. Spices was the currency of that transition. 1 pound of nutmeg was equal trade for seven fattened oxen. A new definition of taste also arises for the rich. So when Columbus couldn’t find any exotic spices in the new world, he brought back a quantity of brightly colored dried chilies and rechristened them red peppers in his presentation to the sovereigns.
A week and a half before Columbus finally began his third voyage. The Portuguese Vasco de Gama sailed the Gabrielle into port at Culicut on Southwest Coast of India and was enthusiastically met by the local ruler. This should have made Columbus that much more important for the Spanish monarchs. However, Columbus was the victim of politics and, when a new administrator Ferdinand and Isabela sent arrived, he was thrown into jail where we found at the beginning of the book. It took a trip back to homeland and petition to the monarchs themselves to clear Columbus and restore him to honor.
Thereafter, Columbus wanted to circumnavigate the world and eventually launched his fourth and final voyage (1502-1504) with 140 crew. In this voyage, he encountered severe storms, deep waters (how he named present day Honduras), hostile locals, a shipwreck, mutinies, shipworms that stranded the party in an island for a whole year, and drama that comes straight out of fiction (Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s court): allegedly, he used a dramatic prediction of a lunar eclipse to convince local Indians to keep supplying food to his crew.
Alas, when the great explorer died, his exploration was minimized by King Ferdinand (the one with a soft spot for Columbus has always been Isabella, and Columbus’s descendants didn’t help the matter by suing the King). The continent that might have been called something like Columbia was later named in honor of another Italian Amerigo Vespucci.
June 7, 2025
Short, so perfect for an audiobook. What a great story, though, and what a great adventure. Although I'm starting to think that "adventure" is synonymous with being miserable, and the amount of adventure corresponds with the length of time being miserable.
Still can't get over the hurricane of 1502, and how Columbus begged the governor of Hispaniola to keep the fleet that was set to sail back to Spain in port for a week longer. In what must be the biggest example of karma ever, Columbus was proven all too correct, and around 30 ships and 800 souls went to the bottom. All except the ship carrying Columbus' property, which was picked by the vindictive governor because it was the worst ship in the fleet. And being the slowest, was spared the worst of the storm, and thus was the only ship to actually make it back to Spain. His prediction was so accurate, and his opponents proven so horribly wrong for disbelieving him, that he was accused of black magic! How else to explain the results???!!!
But I expect Columbus was saddened by the results. And he may not have learned of what happened until the end of his own star-crossed fourth voyage, so any exultation would have long before been worn away, I expect.
One thing the book reminded me of was the fact that wooden ships are always in the process of sinking. Without constant attention and maintenance, they will go to the bottom in a matter of months, if not weeks. And so Columbus ultimately lost all four ships, mostly because he anchored in a safe harbor in Central America, only to discover that during the dry season, the river that emptied into the bay didn't provide enough water for the ships to get over the sand bar back into the Caribbean! And during the wet season, a heavy storm in the mountains resulted in a sudden and violent flood that nearly sank the fleet.
That harbor is where most of the action occurs. The natives are initially friendly to the Spaniards. The local chief recognized a potential ally in his battles with other tribes (politics is a constant in human existence). But ultimately, Columbus wore out his welcome, and then the battles began.
The Spaniards had been shown an area with gold on the ground among the tree roots. (The Indians often traded gold for glass beads and other trinkets; both sides certain they had cheated the other). So Columbus tried to leave a fort there. Unfortunately, the Indians attacked as soon as Columbus' fleet left the harbor. Fortunately, a boat came back for water, so the men could be saved. Unfortunately, the boat crew pulled up the river despite the attack, and all got hacked to pieces, with only one survivor, who escaped by swimming under water.
The adventures don't end there! Columbus steers his two remaining ships aground in Jamaica. They are too unseaworthy to make it just a few more miles to Hispaniola. Miraculously, two of his men, with Indian help, managed to use canoes to make it across the narrow straight (the current was against them, making the passage difficult). I was surprised that such a short passage was so difficult for the Indians, with several of them dying due to lack of water. I would have thought the Indians, living in the Caribbean, would have been great seafarers. After all, how else did their ancestors arrive on Jamaica? But apparently, those skills were not passed down!
Anyway, there were many more adventures, too many to list. Mutinies, fights with Indians, politics with the governor of Hispaniola, who feared Columbus' fame, etc. Columbus' brother Bartholeme was a true hero, along with several other crew members.
So read the book! The fourth voyage was a true adventure.
Still can't get over the hurricane of 1502, and how Columbus begged the governor of Hispaniola to keep the fleet that was set to sail back to Spain in port for a week longer. In what must be the biggest example of karma ever, Columbus was proven all too correct, and around 30 ships and 800 souls went to the bottom. All except the ship carrying Columbus' property, which was picked by the vindictive governor because it was the worst ship in the fleet. And being the slowest, was spared the worst of the storm, and thus was the only ship to actually make it back to Spain. His prediction was so accurate, and his opponents proven so horribly wrong for disbelieving him, that he was accused of black magic! How else to explain the results???!!!
But I expect Columbus was saddened by the results. And he may not have learned of what happened until the end of his own star-crossed fourth voyage, so any exultation would have long before been worn away, I expect.
One thing the book reminded me of was the fact that wooden ships are always in the process of sinking. Without constant attention and maintenance, they will go to the bottom in a matter of months, if not weeks. And so Columbus ultimately lost all four ships, mostly because he anchored in a safe harbor in Central America, only to discover that during the dry season, the river that emptied into the bay didn't provide enough water for the ships to get over the sand bar back into the Caribbean! And during the wet season, a heavy storm in the mountains resulted in a sudden and violent flood that nearly sank the fleet.
That harbor is where most of the action occurs. The natives are initially friendly to the Spaniards. The local chief recognized a potential ally in his battles with other tribes (politics is a constant in human existence). But ultimately, Columbus wore out his welcome, and then the battles began.
The Spaniards had been shown an area with gold on the ground among the tree roots. (The Indians often traded gold for glass beads and other trinkets; both sides certain they had cheated the other). So Columbus tried to leave a fort there. Unfortunately, the Indians attacked as soon as Columbus' fleet left the harbor. Fortunately, a boat came back for water, so the men could be saved. Unfortunately, the boat crew pulled up the river despite the attack, and all got hacked to pieces, with only one survivor, who escaped by swimming under water.
The adventures don't end there! Columbus steers his two remaining ships aground in Jamaica. They are too unseaworthy to make it just a few more miles to Hispaniola. Miraculously, two of his men, with Indian help, managed to use canoes to make it across the narrow straight (the current was against them, making the passage difficult). I was surprised that such a short passage was so difficult for the Indians, with several of them dying due to lack of water. I would have thought the Indians, living in the Caribbean, would have been great seafarers. After all, how else did their ancestors arrive on Jamaica? But apparently, those skills were not passed down!
Anyway, there were many more adventures, too many to list. Mutinies, fights with Indians, politics with the governor of Hispaniola, who feared Columbus' fame, etc. Columbus' brother Bartholeme was a true hero, along with several other crew members.
So read the book! The fourth voyage was a true adventure.
May 7, 2017
This is a tough book to rate. The entire first half of the book was all about Ferdinand and Isabelle and politics, not at all what I was expecting for a book with "mutiny, shipwreck, and discovery" in the title. I almost gave up on it. Then, finally, we actually got to Columbus and being on the ship and the challenges that ensued. Reading about the sea challenges, and making landfall, and the various encounters with natives was really engaging - and precisely what I wanted to learn about when I decided to read this book. So, if the book could be edited down to strip out most of the front portion, it could have been a 5 star book. But, with the overly long, detailed, and unfocused first half, which read more like an author who did a ton of research and didn't want it to go to waste, it's hard to recommend.
May 2, 2020
This was my second time reading this, and I really enjoyed it ! Columbus is so much more than just what you learn in school. The details about his travels in this book are great, and the author has really good references in the back of the book. You learn a little of his background and about his brothers, but most of the book is about the tales from the fourth voyage. Several of the accounts of going ashore on new lands and dealing with the indians are very intense. Great book for a history buff, because you learn about many of the islands in the carribean. Life on board the ships of his time is also an interesting part of this book.
November 20, 2022
Columbus endured a wide range of predicaments and hardships during his life at sea and especially on his 4th voyage to the New World. He found himself at the center of mutinies by his men; attacks by hostile tribes who wished to kill him and his crew; marooned on Jamaica for over a year where he had to barter for food for he and his men. Not to mention the constant problems encountered onboard a 15th century sailing vessel - out at sea aboard ships riddled with holes from shipworms, or sailing thru a Caribbean hurricane.
Was it miraculous that he made it back to Spain four times or should this be chalked up to his savvy as an explorer, navigator or his seamanship?
This book provides an engaging tale of how Columbus overcame each of many obstacles encountered during his voyages of discovery.
December 31, 2019
A very interesting & fact filled history of 'New World' discovery. It goes much further than school text books ever taught. I found it easy to read & understand.
September 22, 2025
Another excellent Dugard biography
If you enjoy reading historical nonfiction, this well-written and engaging journey touching on Columbus’ first three voyages but focusing on his life after the third voyage (including voyage #4) is definitely worth your time. It’s a relatively quick read.
If you enjoy reading historical nonfiction, this well-written and engaging journey touching on Columbus’ first three voyages but focusing on his life after the third voyage (including voyage #4) is definitely worth your time. It’s a relatively quick read.
December 28, 2014
Dugard avoided innumerable potential tangents to give us the benefit of his research into this last voyage.
I learned that info and mis-info about CC is not just a modern phenomenon. CC had a lot of enemies, and Dugard outlines a few, who benefited from having chaos surround his name. Dugard gives us facts.
You can certainly conclude that CC's skills as a mariner are unparralled for his time. His land administration skills, seemingly leave a lot be be desired, but his peers failed as well.
I lost count, but after the battles with native people, low supplies and the civil war of his crew, he still had 100 of the orginal 140 crew alive. This in itself is a pretty heady accomplishment.
He must have been a total optimist in his expectation that help would arrive in Jamaica. I would have lost faith after not too many months, but he was right.
There are many heroes here who certainly deserve treatment of their own. One very intriguing character is Mendez. His stealth capture of the native king is amazing as his rowing to Santo Domingo, particularly in light of how badly the mutineers failed in an identical mission.
I learned that info and mis-info about CC is not just a modern phenomenon. CC had a lot of enemies, and Dugard outlines a few, who benefited from having chaos surround his name. Dugard gives us facts.
You can certainly conclude that CC's skills as a mariner are unparralled for his time. His land administration skills, seemingly leave a lot be be desired, but his peers failed as well.
I lost count, but after the battles with native people, low supplies and the civil war of his crew, he still had 100 of the orginal 140 crew alive. This in itself is a pretty heady accomplishment.
He must have been a total optimist in his expectation that help would arrive in Jamaica. I would have lost faith after not too many months, but he was right.
There are many heroes here who certainly deserve treatment of their own. One very intriguing character is Mendez. His stealth capture of the native king is amazing as his rowing to Santo Domingo, particularly in light of how badly the mutineers failed in an identical mission.
July 20, 2015
This book starts with an overview of pre-voyage stuff that jumps around a bit in time - governor Columbus arrested and returned in chains to Spain; Columbus asking both Portugal and Spain to sponsor his first expedition; other expeditions (some launched by the Spanish sovereigns to avoid giving Columbus too much profit), etc. This portion is interesting and brings out the major players, even if it is a bit hard to follow.
The second section dives in to the fourth voyage and covers it in great detail. I missed the earlier what came before or after style here. Notably missing - Portugal, specifically King João II - such a nemesis in the first section of the book.
The book concludes in a rush, giving almost no detail of the final years of Christopher Columbus. A brief history of some of the other players is given. A solid 3½ stars.
The second section dives in to the fourth voyage and covers it in great detail. I missed the earlier what came before or after style here. Notably missing - Portugal, specifically King João II - such a nemesis in the first section of the book.
The book concludes in a rush, giving almost no detail of the final years of Christopher Columbus. A brief history of some of the other players is given. A solid 3½ stars.
November 13, 2017
I liked this one. I've been listening to 1491 again on audiobook, and have to admit early American exploration and colonization have a weird fascination for me. Other books on the subject I've really liked are A Voyage Long and Strange, 1493, Guns, Germs, and Steel, Conquistador, Mayflower, Marvelous Possessions, The Barbarous Years, Les Sauvages Americains, and probably a bunch of others I can't think of. In some ways, all adventure travel books are just a catalog of horrors, but they are also testaments to the endurance of the human spirit. When I feel beaten down or depressed, it helps to remember that its possible for someone to be 3000 miles from home, shipwrecked, starving, surrounded by angry, hostile people, sick with malaria, overwhelmed by horror and sorrow, and still somehow live to tell the story.
October 14, 2025
I really enjoyed this one. First, the audio book reader was that perfect kind of British accent, so kudos. Second, I learned a lot about Columbus I didn't know before. I think most people's knowledge of the man ends when he gets back home after the first voyage, but he had three more voyages that, really, give a fuller picture of the man.
Though this book focuses on the fourth voyage, as the title suggests, it overviews all the voyages, which was helpful for someone like me who knew little of the other three.
The book is heavy on the politics in the first half, but it is necessary background to understand Columbus' motivations. The knowledge that his colony and replacement hated him and the strong anti-foreigner, anti-commoner bias among the Spanish elite makes me wonder how many of the charges against Columbus were cooked up to get rid of him.
Though this book focuses on the fourth voyage, as the title suggests, it overviews all the voyages, which was helpful for someone like me who knew little of the other three.
The book is heavy on the politics in the first half, but it is necessary background to understand Columbus' motivations. The knowledge that his colony and replacement hated him and the strong anti-foreigner, anti-commoner bias among the Spanish elite makes me wonder how many of the charges against Columbus were cooked up to get rid of him.
April 11, 2010
Columbus had said that his 4th Voyage was by far his best. This is an incredible tale by any standards. Love or hate Columbus, he pulled off some amazing feats and the 4th Voyage is no exception - nor is Columbus the only compelling character. Not by a long shot. Well worth reading. Gives a real appreciation of the difficulty of sea-exploration in the 15th-16thC. Anybody who likes adventure, history, the sea, sailing and/or the Caribbean will dig this book. I don't want to throw out spoilers, but some of the stories here are wild.
August 8, 2013
Very interesting and informative book on Columbus and his voyages. Before reading this book I basically knew, "in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." :-). This book went into great detail on not only Columbus, but also his relationship with his crew(s), Ferdinand and Isabella, as well as others. The details of his voyages, his explorations of new lands that he found, and his dealing with the native people was fascinating. For those of you intrigued by exploration and adventure, this is definitely a good read.
November 13, 2021
I recognize that the book is well written; it is clear and concise. And I think history buffs will enjoy it and find it interesting. I, however, was a little frustrated with it. I felt it would have been greatly enhanced by more maps. I did not have a globe with me and even when I tried to look up maps to figure out where the ships were, I struggled to find any that knew since most of the names have changed over the centuries. Also, I was disappointed that the name of the book is "The Last Voyage of Columbus," but you have to read more than a third of the book before he actually gets to the last voyage. The first 1/3-plus pages were Columbus's history, as well as the political history and the history of other explorers at the time. I found myself more engaged in the latter half of the book when it was actually detailing Columbus's actions and tribulations on his fourth and final voyage to the New World (which, as nearly as I can make out, was to Mexico rather than America--I'm pretty sure, based on this book, that Columbus never actually discovered what we know as America today). I also must admit that while the history was interesting, it definitely left me with a more negative opinion of Columbus than I had before. In many ways, he proved himself to be more of a treasure seeker than a true explorer--which he often criticized the other captains and explorers for. I did appreciate Dugard's honest depiction of his attitude, personality, and actions though, rather than trying to bias the picture presented.
December 22, 2023
I very much enjoyed Dugard's book about James Cook (Farther Than Any Man), and so I was excited to read this book about Columbus. While The Last Voyage of Columbus is well-researched, I found it lacking when compared to the Cook book. First, I don't think Dugard succeeded in humanizing Columbus as well as he did Cook. Farther Than Any Man gives the reader a great sense of Cook's personality, his style of leadership, how he interacted with the men, etc; In fairness to Dugard, it seems Columbus was a more aloof individual, but nevertheless I would have liked him to come alive a little more on the page. I think partly Dugard struggled to do that because the narrative here is somewhat jumbled, particularly in the first half of the book. There is a lot of discussion of other Spanish explorers of the time; Dugard runs through a handful of Columbus's major rivals and provides summaries of their expeditions. This takes the focus off of Columbus and makes it a little difficult to keep the chronology of events straight as a reader. However, the end of the book when Columbus is shipwrecked on Jamaica is much stronger, and the tales of Diego Mendez's heroism are very interesting. There are also several anecdotes throughout the book concerning Columbus' brother which are entertaining. So overall, I think this book is worth reading for anyone interested in Columbus, even if the book is not as Columbus-centric as I would have hoped.
March 12, 2025
Ok, truth be told, while I thought it might be interesting, it was the $2.99 price that got me to buy it.
Whatever the case, I'm glad I did, it checked all my great book boxes.
Remember the poem used to teach kids something about Columbus? The one that started with "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue."
Not sure if I ever knew the complete poem, but I've never forgotten that opening line. Finding this book, remembering no more than that, I've occasionally wondered, what else, if anything, did Columbus do?
It turns out quite a lot, and Dugard does an excellent job telling you what that was.
His descriptions of life on board his many sailings, on land, and his interactions with Portuguese and Spanish nobility looking for money to pay for his expeditions, are as vivid as they could possibly be.
The book title promises the reader will share in "the Epic Tale of the Great Captain's Fourth Expedition, Including Accounts of Mutiny, Shipwreck, and Discovery".
It did for me, I'm certain it will for you as well.
Whatever the case, I'm glad I did, it checked all my great book boxes.
Remember the poem used to teach kids something about Columbus? The one that started with "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue."
Not sure if I ever knew the complete poem, but I've never forgotten that opening line. Finding this book, remembering no more than that, I've occasionally wondered, what else, if anything, did Columbus do?
It turns out quite a lot, and Dugard does an excellent job telling you what that was.
His descriptions of life on board his many sailings, on land, and his interactions with Portuguese and Spanish nobility looking for money to pay for his expeditions, are as vivid as they could possibly be.
The book title promises the reader will share in "the Epic Tale of the Great Captain's Fourth Expedition, Including Accounts of Mutiny, Shipwreck, and Discovery".
It did for me, I'm certain it will for you as well.
December 21, 2017
I enjoyed this book, and learned things about Columbus and the era that I previously did not know. As a kid I remember celebrating Columbus Day in school, and learning that he was a brave explorer that discovered both that the world was round, and also unknowingly the new world. These days it seems that Columbus is evil incarnate and almost solely responsible for the genocide of the natives of the New World.
While the book focused on his 4th voyage, of which I was completely unaware. I think it did a good job of painting a picture of the type of person Columbus was. In short he was human just like us. He was very driven to accomplish great things, but as a human was also prone to his own foibles. But considering the social norms of the time, and in comparison to others of his time. The label he has received lately as the devil incarnate seems highly overblown. Was he a hero or a saint? Probably not. Was he pure evil? Decidedly not. Like most of us, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
While the book focused on his 4th voyage, of which I was completely unaware. I think it did a good job of painting a picture of the type of person Columbus was. In short he was human just like us. He was very driven to accomplish great things, but as a human was also prone to his own foibles. But considering the social norms of the time, and in comparison to others of his time. The label he has received lately as the devil incarnate seems highly overblown. Was he a hero or a saint? Probably not. Was he pure evil? Decidedly not. Like most of us, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
May 19, 2020
I've always enjoyed a good seafaring tale, and this one has all the necessary elements in spades. The introductory section is a bit dull, and Mr. Dugard writes it as if he's more concerned about convincing readers he doesn't share any of the politically incorrect attitudes exhibited by his protagonists than telling his story. Once the fourth voyage begins, the pace picks up nicely, and the writing takes on a less defensive tone. While the voyage itself is fascinating, the epilogue is especially interesting as it recounts what happened to all the 'dramatis personae' and how Amerigo Vespucci gained renown as the 'discoverer' of the continents name for him and Columbus disappeared into obscurity only to be 'rediscovered' as a great explorer centuries after his death. The book makes an important contribution to balancing our understanding of Columbus, once revered, now often vilified. Here is a real man, shaped by his times. He is both exceptional and flawed, and well worth knowing about.
December 2, 2024
A very short book about the life of Columbus and his last voyage. It relies heavily on source material, which are logs and journals from the men on board. The last voyage was where they visited Bocas del Toro which is the place I live now. It’s amazing to hear his descriptions of the islands and how it appeared to them. He felt he was closer than ever to finding an opening to the pacific, coincidentally predicting the future Panama Canal, even though they had no idea how thick the isthmus was. The Indians of Bocas wore huge gold chains with polished metal disc mirrors on their chests. They also lured a group of Columbus’ men into a raid on the shores near Almirante, at which point the Spaniards left to Jamaica where they would spend a year stranded by shipwreck.
February 5, 2019
Whatever his other strengths or failings, Columbus was an absolutely incredible sailor, navigator, and ship’s Captain who surrounded himself with strong, intelligent followers. The author shows this clearly. Rather than simply a book about Columbus’s fourth voyage, this is a story about the political and cultural environment which Columbus had to deal with while planning and carrying out all of his voyages in search of a western passage to India. The excerpts and references to first hand accounts and early biographies really make you feel like you were there. The voyages themselves were horrendously and fascinatingly difficult and dangerous. An excellent book!
November 6, 2019
Here's one I recommend to anyone who has interest in the 'discovery' of the New World. And Martin Dugard, who garnered fame for writing the Killing Of series with O'Reilly, shows that he's a master story writer. More than likely Dugard did most of the writing on the Killing Of series. Most of us learn little about Columbus the man and the multiple voyages he made from Europe to the Caribbean. And few of us know the political intrigue that went on from 1492 until Columbus last voyage in the early 16th century. I could give away a lot -- but put this on your reading list. I guarantee you go, didn't know that, more than once!
December 19, 2022
Quite an interesting find. This focuses on Columbus's last voyage, which is probably his most interesting (maybe aside from his second), but it is hardly ever mentioned, since it isn't where he "discovered the new world". However, it is where he was arrested and thrown in jail for possible death, where he convinced some native americans he had supernatural powers by "causing" a lunar eclipse, and was his last trip and last attempt at being a governor in the Americas.
Plenty of background information is given as well, obviously, including quite a bit of interesting information about indigenous peoples you don't often read about.
All in all, a great read.
Plenty of background information is given as well, obviously, including quite a bit of interesting information about indigenous peoples you don't often read about.
All in all, a great read.
November 2, 2019
The exciting and nearly forgotten story of Columbus as a mariner and politician. One must always view people in history in the milieu of their day. The intrigue of the Royal court of Spain and Portugal seem a little simplistic, but still shed light on the person of Columbus. He didn't seem to have the complete authority that ship's captains of later years would possess, but he was still a commanding figure. The many near and some actual failures served to mold him. Overall this is an interesting story and well worth the read if you are interested in nautical or medieval tales.
May 2, 2020
This book far exceeded my expectations. I picked it up thinking it was going to dive right into what occurred in Columbus' final expedition, but the author did a magnificent job of weaving how Spain fit into the European pecking order in the late 15th century and the ramifications of the first three earlier voyages. I highly recommend reading The Four Voyages of Christopher Columbus (Penguin) first, and then immediately read this.
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