Andrés Reséndez

Closer to being an academic monograph than one usually sees in history for the general reader, Resendez has a mystery of attribution he wants to tease apart. On one hand, the Spanish tended to grant credit to the first transit of the so-called "vuelta" of the Pacific Ocean, a circuit of that ocean without being forced to perform a circumnavigation, to the navigator Andres de Urdaneta in 1565, who received much acclaim. However, several months earlier in 1565, another ship from the same expedition to what became the Philippines arrived back in Mexico first, piloted by an Afro-Portuguese man named Lope Martin. What happened to get Martin erased from Spanish imperial history then becomes the backbone of this book, and quite a tale it is. I'm inclined to let the individual reader discover this story for themselves, as it is a good one.… (more)

From Ferdinand Magellan and Sir Francis Drake to lesser-known scientific explorers and even an unknown mariner, a batch of new nonfiction works share previously overlooked stories set during the age of discovery. These titles expand our thinking about the people and missions that jumpstarted maritime travel and commerce.

Conquering the Pacific: An Unknown Mariner and the Final Great Voyage of the Age of Discovery
Andrés Reséndez, Sep 2021, Mariner Books, an imprint of Harper Collins
Themes: World history, Spanish history, Maritime history, Age of Discovery

CONQUERING THE PACIFIC shares an amazing account of a mid-16th century Spanish expedition that crossed the Pacific Ocean and returned. Launched from a secret port in Mexico, the crew included a Black mariner who captained the small, lead ship.
Take-aways: Of particular interest are the many examples of navigational techniques necessary to successfully cross this challenging ocean. In addition, the book details encounters with the Pacific Islanders and an assortment of near-disasters.… (more)