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A Long and Uncertain Journey: The 27,000 Mile Voyage of Vasco Da Gama
Five years after Columbus sailed off to find a sea route to the Orient, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama went on the same quest. His epic, 27,000 mile journey around the bottom of Africa was filled with danger, treachery, sacrifice, cruelty and acts of extraordinary courage. By the time da Gama returned, half his ships were gone, and two thirds of his crew were dead, but he had found what Columbus had not.
Da Gama brought back tales of East African and Asian marketplaces overflowing with riches, of rulers who wore emeralds and rubies and pearls the size of grapes, of ships and cannons that were no match for those of the Portuguese. Portugal would soon send more ships and more cannons. The rest of Europe would follow. And the world would never be the same.
Joan Elizabeth Goodman's narrative captures both the drama of da Gama's voyage and its central place in world history. Tom McNeely's fluid watercolors give the reader a visceral sense of an unknown world unfolding before the explorer's eyes.
Da Gama brought back tales of East African and Asian marketplaces overflowing with riches, of rulers who wore emeralds and rubies and pearls the size of grapes, of ships and cannons that were no match for those of the Portuguese. Portugal would soon send more ships and more cannons. The rest of Europe would follow. And the world would never be the same.
Joan Elizabeth Goodman's narrative captures both the drama of da Gama's voyage and its central place in world history. Tom McNeely's fluid watercolors give the reader a visceral sense of an unknown world unfolding before the explorer's eyes.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2001
About the author
Joan Elizabeth Goodman
35 books9 followers Joan Elizabeth Goodman is an American writer and illustrator.
She was born in Connecticut in 1950 and was raised in an artistic household. Goodman attended L' Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome, from 1969-70, as well as the Pratt Institute, B.F.A., 1973.
She has written several novels of highly acclaimed historical fiction. She lives with her husband and their two children in New York City.
She was born in Connecticut in 1950 and was raised in an artistic household. Goodman attended L' Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome, from 1969-70, as well as the Pratt Institute, B.F.A., 1973.
She has written several novels of highly acclaimed historical fiction. She lives with her husband and their two children in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 30, 2022
Portuguese captain Vasco de Gama led a fleet of four ships from 1497-1499 that sailed from Lisbon around Africa on their way to reach India's spice trade. Portugal was a small but rich nation and King Manuel wanted to expand his nation's reach and tap into the lucrative spice trade that because of the Crusades made a land journey impossible. The sailing journey was long and dangerous, and they encountered new people off the coast of Africa, of whose cultures they were unaware. Many of them were of the Muslim faith (spelled Moslem in the book), and de Gama and his sailors had many cruel culture clashes with the communities they encountered. He came woefully underprepared for meeting other leaders, and presented insultingly small gifts to them, which prevented them from trading together. While his fleet diminished to two boats on the journey home and he lost more than half the crew, he was still welcomed back to Portugal despite his lack of spices and riches, because he had discovered a new sailing route that the King felt he could exploit in the future. Indeed it opened a new era of exploration, but it also meant death and destruction to other African and Asian cultures as Portugal and soon other nations came to conquer.
Author Joan Elizabeth Goodman researched and wrote another remarkable children's book, that gave some extra insight into life back then to explain de Gama's journey in the context of history. The pull-out map is always appreciated in these Great Explorer books, and Tom McNeely's illustrations were beautiful and informative. This is the first book that included some photographs of art from that era, which I thought added weight to the narrative. This series of books is first-rate!
Author Joan Elizabeth Goodman researched and wrote another remarkable children's book, that gave some extra insight into life back then to explain de Gama's journey in the context of history. The pull-out map is always appreciated in these Great Explorer books, and Tom McNeely's illustrations were beautiful and informative. This is the first book that included some photographs of art from that era, which I thought added weight to the narrative. This series of books is first-rate!
January 8, 2026
A well bound and illustrated book, just the kind I appreciate for zooming in on an episode in history - it's more substantial than a typical picture book, but not super long either.
The story is incredibly sad - the author accentuates the tragic elements a bit more than older authors might have done, portraying how the adventurers were motivated by desire for wealth, and were willing to harm and abuse multiple people to gain their ends. Yet it also portrays the indomitable spirit and endurance that makes these histories of the age of exploration so fascinating, however sad it is to see the corruption at the heart of their pursuits. It's especially sad in light of what Christianity was meant to bring to the nations - truth, mercy, and hope - that these adventures of greed and domination were so falsely done in the name of that faith.
As a fan of the story of the Reformation, seeing all the wrongness of what was called Christianity going on up to that point, really brings home to me the value of what Luther and others did in calling the church to the truth, and how missions not of sword and plunder, but of mercy and kindness to the nations later flowed out of the return to the gospel of Christ, and not the power of Rome, as the heart of the faith. This book does not point any of that out; it simply ends on a tragic note of how the Europeans hurt the world. There's so much more to the story - as always.
The story is incredibly sad - the author accentuates the tragic elements a bit more than older authors might have done, portraying how the adventurers were motivated by desire for wealth, and were willing to harm and abuse multiple people to gain their ends. Yet it also portrays the indomitable spirit and endurance that makes these histories of the age of exploration so fascinating, however sad it is to see the corruption at the heart of their pursuits. It's especially sad in light of what Christianity was meant to bring to the nations - truth, mercy, and hope - that these adventures of greed and domination were so falsely done in the name of that faith.
As a fan of the story of the Reformation, seeing all the wrongness of what was called Christianity going on up to that point, really brings home to me the value of what Luther and others did in calling the church to the truth, and how missions not of sword and plunder, but of mercy and kindness to the nations later flowed out of the return to the gospel of Christ, and not the power of Rome, as the heart of the faith. This book does not point any of that out; it simply ends on a tragic note of how the Europeans hurt the world. There's so much more to the story - as always.
February 6, 2013
Vasco da Gama an explorer of Portugal went on an amazing and uncharted journey to find a sea route to India.
This was a good synopsis of da Gama’s journey. I wonder how much I would give to a child, there were a couple passages in the book where I wonder if the author’s bias were showing through. Given with a couple different books on the same subject, this would be a great teaching tool. The writing by this author is engaging and clear.
This was a good synopsis of da Gama’s journey. I wonder how much I would give to a child, there were a couple passages in the book where I wonder if the author’s bias were showing through. Given with a couple different books on the same subject, this would be a great teaching tool. The writing by this author is engaging and clear.
August 6, 2016
Amazing nonfiction book about the beginning of the slave trade and the historical significance of the Sea Voyage of Vasco Da Gama. Interesting new facts about the role of the Cape Verde Islands.
April 7, 2022
I kind of liked it because they took a long journey.
December 5, 2014
Nice contextualization for early exploration and colonization by the Portuguese.
June 22, 2016
Outstanding design with excellent illustrations. A bit wordy.
August 10, 2016
Excellent book for read aloud as a supplement to the history books
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews