Magellan Chronicles

In late 1504, a young Ferdinand Magellan encounters Vasco Da Gama and AmerigoVespucci in Lisbon. Inspired by their devotion to exploration, he enlists in the 7thArmada tothe Indies. But to be accepted into the fleet, Magellan must overcome the personal hostility ofKing Manuel and prove himself to be a capable navigator, worthy of service to the crown.The Portuguese' new shipping route around the horn of Africa, has disrupted the lucrativespice trade monopoly enjoyed by Islamic powers. The Sultan of Egypt has sent a letter to thePope demanding an immediate halt to all Portuguese trade in the Indies. If not, all Christiansin his domain will be put to death, all churches leveled, and even the Holy Sepulchre inJerusalem destroyed. After 500 years of Islamic domination in their own lands, the Portuguesehave refused to submit, igniting a new holy war.In response, King Manuel has ordered the 7tharmada to establish a fortified base alongthe coast of Tanzania and proceed east to appoint Viceroy Almeida as Governor in Cochin,India. Along the way, Magellan and his company will be tasked with negotiating a trade alliancewith Viceroy Tumar in Senegal, navigating past the dreaded Cape in perilous storms and frigidwinter conditions, subduing hostile forces in Mombasa, and upon arrival to India, fighting inthe great naval battle of Cannanore.

The Portuguese are caught up in a long deadly struggle for supremacy of the spice trade.Magellan and his comrades are soon thrust into major battles in India, Malacca, and Morroco,and with each new mission they are placed in contact with the bizarre customs of the localpopulace. In the port of Cochin, India, Magellan discovers a variety of Hindu religions, a largecommunity of diasporic Jews, a sect of Nazarene Christians established by Saint Thomas, andmore clues to the location of the fabled Christian sovereign, King Prester John.Magellan and company fight in the four-month siege of Malacca. Emerging victorious, andwith great spoils of war, the years of service to the crown have proven fruitful. But, with thesinking of Albuquerque's 400-ton Flor de la Mar, Magellan's share of the vast treasure onboard is lost to the deep.After serving in the Portuguese navy for nearly a decade, under the commands of bothAlmeida and Albuquerque, Magellan returns to Lisbon, a wounded veteran, destitute butunbowed. With King Manuel's continued opposition, Magellan is hard pressed to find themeans to fulfill his dream, of reaching the fabled Spice Islands themselves.

Magellan's quest to reach the Spice Islands remains undaunted. But on September 20,1519, he realizes his path will not lead east, under the flag of Portugal and King Manuel, butto the west, under the flag of Spain and King Charles V.In preparation for the mission, Magellan enlists a young marine named Antonio Pigafetta,a knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in Rhodes, who soon proves himself as a giftednaturalist, linguist, and fleet historian. The fleet leaves Spain in search of a fabled straitlocated at the tip of South America. Throughout the journey Magellan and his crewmen mustendure violent storms, shipwrecks, mutinies, executions, cannibals, giants, starvation, anddisease. Then, 98 days crossing the Pacific without landfall adds more suffering and death toan already weakened crew.The Armada faces its' greatest challenge in the Philippines, when Magellan is killed in theBattle at Mactan, and suffers further losses in the Massacre at Cebu. Depleted in ships andmen, the remaining crew find the will to complete the mission and return to Spain alive. Thethree-year odyssey will be remembered as the greatest sea voyage of all time.