In the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1519, a jester named Juanillo joins an expedition for the Spice Islands and circles the entire world - "the greatest undertaking ever known to man". Huge sails unfurl in the breeze, church bells fill the air, and five black ships - the Trinidad, the San Antonio, the Concepcion, the Santiago, and the Victoria - embark, their crews infected with dreams: dreams of gold, adventure, the unknown, and of cloves, pepper, saffron, cinnamon, to make them rich and bring them titles and honors. Their leader is cold, stern Captain General don Fernando Magellan. Always in his armor, he paces the deck. In his cabin the crucifix has been replaced by an astrolabe. And he carries with him soil from his native Portugal, to cover him should he die during the voyage. In rich, sensuous, robust prose, with earthy humor and stunning poetry, Napoleon Baccino Ponce de Leon, a new writer from Uruguay, spins a yarn of men and ships. Of fog, jungle mazes, thirst, fear, illness, scorching sun, icy winds, bad omens, mutiny, and madness. A tale of the real men behind history's list of names. Of homesickness, loneliness, and the need for women, who belong to the land, not the sea. And as Juanillo, the fool of the fleet, jokes and sings and plays his thousand tricks to beguile the sailors and don Fernando, his master - making irreverent asides about monarchs and the cruelty of power - he brings to us all the sights and sounds and smells of the voyage. The beating of the waves against the hull, the creaking of the boards, men hanging from the rigging like rag dolls, iron and bronze fittings covered with verdigris, seaweed dark and soft as moss, giant crabs that glint blue like swordblades in moonlight, fish like jewels, and the sad howling of sea lions on deserted coasts of gray rock. A marvelous novel about the first circumnavigation of the globe, about explorers who face suffering and death, and about the life-giving power of the imagination.

First Edition, First Printing, Full Print Line. VG Has been read. Bottom spine of DJ has tears about 1" front and back. 1 inch tear at top inside flap and 1/2 inch tear on back upper center. Edge wear light some rubbing. Binding normal wear. Corners barely bumped/rounded. Pages clean and crisp. Dj Acceptable Present but in bad condition. Not included in price. 3396717

Author: Napoleon Baccino Ponce De Leon, Nick Caistor,
Publisher: Harcourt
Keywords: discoverers, novel, ships, black, five
Pages: 347
Published: 1994-06
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0151562962 ISBN-13: 9780151562961
Binding: Hardcover (1St Edition)
List Price: 23.95 USD

Five Black Ships: A Novel of the Discoverers by Napoleon Baccino Ponce De Leon



Andres de San armor asked astrolabe Basco Gallego beach began birds bishop of Burgos Blas Bustillo cabin capstan Captain Carvajo cloves cross dark dead death deck Don Carlos Don Fernando Don Juan dream empty Enrique everything eyes face father fear feel fleet Francisco Faleiro Gaspar hands happened head hear Highness huge hull Juan de Cartagena Juan Serrano Juanillo jungle king of Zubu knew lagoon laughed leave longboat looked Luis Majesty master masts morning mother mouth never night Odoardo once organ music perfume perhaps Portuguese rain replied rigging river Ruy Faleiro sails San Antonio San Martin Sebastian seemed Sevilla shadow ships shouted silence smell smile someone sound Spice Islands staring sterncastle stood strange talk tell thing thought timbers told trees Trinidad trying turned village voice voyage waiting wanted waves wind woman yardarms