Portugisiski rannsóknarmaðurin Ferdinand Magellan (1480–1521) er ein av heimsins kendastu sjófarum – hann sigldi sum tann fyrsti av øllum frá Atlantshavi til Kyrrahav og stóð á odda fyri fyrstu sjóferðini at sigla kring allan knøttin, tó at hann læt lív á ferðini.
Í hesi ævisøguni birtir Zweig lív í øldina við teimum mongu rannsóknarferðunum og sigur søguna um eina ta djarvastu royndina. Á sín egna sniðfundiga hátt ger hann ferð við okkum, har vit samstundis rannsaka okkum sjálv.
Longu sjóferðina fíggjaðu spanski kongurin Karl V og ein niðurlendskur handilsmaður, Christopher de Haro, og endamálið við ferðini var ikki gull, heiður og Guð, sum oftast verður hildið, men matur! At fáa smakk í matin hjá evropearum. Krydd sum pipar, kanel, muskatt og nelikar fekst ikki í Evropa. Tað varð innflutt ígjøgnum arabiskar handilsmenn og var ørandi dýrt.
Krydd var so virðismikið, at hóast bert tað eina av fimm skipum kom aftur í 1522, gav tann kryddlastin stórt yvirskot av ferðini, ið annars vardi í trý ár og kostaði 237 monnum lívið.
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The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480 - 1521) is counted amongst the world's most renowned seafarers - he was the first to sail from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific ocean, and he led the first sea voyage intended to go around the world, but he died on the journey.
In this biography, Zweig brings the reader into an era of expeditions and tells the story of one of the boldest attempts to explore the world.
In his own artful manner, he brings us along for an expedition where we explore ourselves in the process.
The long voyage was funded by Charles V and the Dutch tradesman, Christopher de Haro. The purpose of the voyage was neither gold, glory nor God, as is often believed, but food! More specifically: flavours to add to European food. Spices such as pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove were difficult to get your hands on in Europe. They were imported by Arabic tradesmen and were incredibly expensive.
Spices were so valuable at the time that even though only one out of five ships returned in 1522, the cargo of spices still yielded great profits for the expedition, which lasted three years during which 237 men lost their lives.
