Amerigo

The Man Who Gave His Name to America

By: Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

In this groundbreaking work, leading historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto tells the story of our hemisphere as a whole, showing why it is impossible to understand North, Central, and South America in isolation without turning to the intertwining forces that shape the region.

With imagination, thematic breadth, and his trademark wit, Fernandez-Armesto covers a range of cultural, political, and social subjects, taking us from the dawn of human migration to North America, to the colonial and independence periods, and to the "American century" and beyond. Fernandez-Armesto does nothing less than revise the conventional wisdom about cross-cultural exchange, conflict, and interaction, making and supporting some brilliantly provocative conclusions about the Americas' past and where we are headed.

©2007 Felipe Fernandez-Armesto (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic reviews

"Dazzling....An elegant tale." (Publishers Weekly)
"Fernandez-Armesto can personalize broad historical trends without sinking into triviality....History written at its best." (Booklist)

A little thick in the weeds but a good understanding of the man.

I really just wanted to know why America was named after this guy since everyone knows that Colombus was the first [sic] European to sail to the new world. The author nearly avoids that whole question until the last chapter.
I could have used a little less coverage of what Europe, Florence, Spain, etc was like back then.
It was interesting to know how much we don’t know about him due to lost or misappropriated letters and contemporary exaggerations.

A Seagoing Life

This is the story of Vespucci and his seagoing, pragmatic approach to life. We learn he took advantage of opportunities that came his way and that he also contrived. This book brings home that he was not the man we learned about in school for sure.

Well written and well read, the book was a little dry to me in spots. That could well be a function of the limited evidence available to scholars in general. Alternatively, the book I heard immediately prior was very intersting and may have colored my evaluation of this one. The book is informative and worthwhile none-the-less.

Genuinely enlightening

I was surprised first of all that there was enough real historical information as there is about Amerigo. Hardly enough to write a real biography but enough to get a real picture of who he was. Definitely enough to convince anyone that his name does not deserve to be plastered over two continents. But what is really interesting about this book is the light it sheds on what the early days of the exploration of the new world was like. The voyages, schemes, cartographers, memoirs (real and imaginery)--it was a fascinating time in European history.

Too much information makes for a poor story

The author demonstrates strong research skills and preparation, and the writing style is commendable. However, the story is weighed down by an overabundance of detailed research, which detracts from the narrative and leads to a lack of engagement or enjoyment, ultimately causing boredom. A more balanced approach between storytelling and research would have enhanced the reader’s experience.