Christopher Columbus, Mariner

by Samuel Eliot Morison

Kirkus Review Back in 1942 Admiral of the Ocean Sea was published, a definitive biography of Columbus. As a book club choice it had a wider distribution than would have been likely through ordinary channels, for the average layman found the ""story"" bogging down too often in scholarly material, appended footnotes, and scientific data. Now Mr. Morison has completely rewritten the material, deleting much of the highly professional data (although one reads more of navigation than commonly given the layman, and finds it interesting). The flow of events takes over and the whole record of Columbus stands out as a superb tale of maritime adventure. For most readers who feel they are relatively familiar with the story, there will be an enormous amount of revealing new detail, which scholars alone have known. It seems unbelievably fortunate that so many contemporary records were made (though travellers who have visited the museum devoted to the material in Seville are aware of it). Each successive voyage is intimately detailed, and with the widely increased interest in the Caribbean area, the island by island discovery strikes an almost contemporary note. The record goes back to a childhood in Genoa, and at this point differs from the Madariaga Christopher Columbus at specific controversial items.. But on the various aspects of the voyages themselves, Morison, an accepted authority in the field of navigation, writes dramatically, authoritatively, colorfully. It makes very good reading.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Geography, School

160 pages, paper

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Samuel Eliot Morison, son of John H. and Emily Marshall (Eliot) Morison, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on 9 July 1887. He attended Noble’s School at Boston, and St. Paul’s at Concord, New Hampshire, before entering Harvard University, from which he was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1908. He studied at the Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques, Paris, France, in 1908-1909, and returned to Harvard for postgraduate work, receiving the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1912. Thereafter he became Instructor, first at the University of California in Berkeley, and in 1915 at Harvard. Except for three years (1922-1925) when he was Harmsworth Professor of American History at Oxford, England, and his periods of active duty during both World Wars, he remained continuously at Harvard University as lecturer and professor until his retirement in 1955.

He had World War I service as a private in the US Army, but not overseas. As he had done some preliminary studies on Finland for Colonel House’s Inquiry, he was detailed from the Army in January 1919 and attached to the Russian Division of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace, at Paris, his specialty being Finland and the Baltic States. He served as the American Delegate on the Baltic Commission of the Peace Conference until 17 June 1919, and shortly after returned to the United States. He became a full Professor at Harvard in 1925, and was appointed to the Jonathan Trumbull Chair in 1940. He also taught American History at Johns Hopkins University in 1941-1942.

Living up to his sea-going background – he has sailed in small boats and coastal craft all his life. In 1939-1940, he organized and commanded the Harvard Columbus Expedition which retraced the voyages of Columbus in sailing ships, barkentine Capitana and ketch Mary Otis. After crossing the Atlantic under sail to Spain and back, and examining all the shores visited by Columbus in the Caribbean, he wrote Admiral of the Ocean Sea, an outstanding biography of Columbus, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1943. He also wrote a shorter biography, Christopher Columbus, Mariner. With Maurico Obregon of Bogota, he surveyed and photographed the shores of the Caribbean by air and published an illustrated book The Caribbean as Columbus Saw It (1964).

Shortly after the United States entered World War II, Dr. Morison proposed to his friend President Roosevelt, to write the operational history of the US Navy from the inside, by taking part in operations and writing them up afterwards. The idea appealed to the President and Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, and on 5 May 1942, Dr. Morison was commissioned Lieutenant Commander, US Naval Reserve, and was called at once to active duty. He subsequently advanced to the rank of Captain on 15 December 1945. His transfer to the Honorary Retired List of the Naval Reserve became effective on 1 August 1951, when he was promoted to Rear Admiral on the basis of combat awards.

In July-August 1942 he sailed with Commander Destroyer Squadron Thirteen (Captain John B. Heffernan, USN), on USS Buck, flagship, on convoy duty in the Atlantic. In October of that year, on USS Brooklyn with Captain Francis D. Denebrink, he participated in Operation TORCH (Allied landings in North and Northwestern Africa - 8 November 1942). In March 1943, while attached to Pacific Fleet Forces, he visited Noumea, Guadalcanal, Australia, and on Washington made a cruise with Vice Admiral W. A. Lee, Jr., USN. He also patrolled around Papua in motor torpedo boats, made three trips up “the Slot” on Honolulu, flagship of Commander Cruisers, Pacific Fleet (Rear Admiral W.W. Ainsworth, USN), and took part in the Battle of Kolombangara before returning to the mainland. Again in the Pacific War Area in September 1943, he participated in the Gilbert Islands operation on board USS Baltimore, under command of Captain Walter C. Calhoun, USN. For the remainder of the Winter he worked at Pearl Harbor, and in the Spring

Reviews

[Lmichelleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when a biography gives me a sense of the times and makes me feel like I walked in the shoes of someone else for a time. This biography came close for me. Reading about Columbus from the perspective of a relatively modern sailor was a treat. I now have a much deeper knowledge of the man who is so celebrated in North America. Faults are shared and accomplishments highlighted in a just account of a great man.

I especially enjoyed reading the translation of Columbus' own letter in the Appendix.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in a time in which it is quite common to hear Christopher Columbus alongside disrespectful comments, or for him to be disregarded (Columbus Day seems to be, at best, a sales event, or an excuse for a long holiday weekend). The 500th anniversary of his landing slipped past with very little fanfare. If anything, it was an opportunity for today's "talking heads" to bash him.
Reading this book helped shed some light on the whole situation. The writer, of a previous generation, was able to research his subject fully and share the high as well as the low points. Not only did he pursue primary documents, but he took the time to sail the sea paths which Columbus charted. His writing doesn't dwell on his own 20th century journey, however. It majors on Columbus' life, how Columbus got the idea of traveling West to get to China, the process Columbus took to get the resources to sail, and exactly what happened on each of his four voyages. Columbus died without knowing the importance of the Pandora's box he had been curious enough to open. He was a man with a large ego. It would have had to have been for him to have the determination to keep going in spite of all the obstacles placed in his path. On the other hand, he must have had great humility to have kept the chains as a reminder of his being brought in disgrace back to Spain after his 3rd voyage.

[Michael Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because it was on sale for 10 cents at the Tampa Public Library and I'd just moved to Tampa and didn't have a library card. But sometimes these I-wouldn't-have-read-it-otherwise reads can be good for us. This book was my reintroduction to Columbus--a good addition to the facile education I've been given. Many historical figures don't deserve the bad rap they now get (e.g. Lincoln). However, Columbus is not one of those. Even by the standards of his time, he was a brute. Morison tells us that Columbus was an expert sailor. Yes, but not so good with the mathematical calculations.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read on the life of Columbus, who risked so much and received so little honor during his lifetime. The author presented both the merits and the wrongs done by Columbus and his sailors. It was amazing to read of how much ground they really did cover during these expeditions without any knowledge of what they were really getting into.

[Christie Wessels · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good to read about Columbus and even to get to read a letter to the king and queen in his own words. The courage and determination it took to cross the Atlantic is hard to really grasp. This book felt like a very solid and unsensational telling of what was truly world-transforming events. I wish it had engaged me more, but I am glad to have read it.

[Sergio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una ricostruzione abile e precisa del grande navigatore genovese: una lettura affascinante come i viaggi e le terre da lui scoperte

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. My biggest take-away was that Columbus was a darn good seaman and his dead reckoning skills were insanely good.

[Khaled Abdel dayem · Rating 5 out of 5]

تحكي قصه رحله كريستوفر الاستكشافيه والمصاعب الذي واجهها في التحضير والسفر والمغامرات التي عاشها
كتاب مثير وجميل

[Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent brief biography that makes you feel you were there too. I appreciated details I hadn't heard elsewhere and the fact the author was a sailor himself who also sailed Columbus' voyage.

[Haleth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non mi sono mai interessata molto al personaggio di Colombo, ma porca miseria, dopo questo libro mi sembra di aver fatto il viaggio con lui!

Leggere di un uomo di mare dalla penna di un altro uomo di mare (e non di qualche "navigatore da biblioteca", come l'autore stesso li definisce), è tutta un'altra cosa. Nessun altro saggio, e solo qualche decina di romanzi, mi hanno coinvolta altrettanto.
Samuel Eliot Morison non solo sa di cosa diavolo sta parlando (essendo non solo marinaio, ma avendo anche ripercorso la rotta dei viaggi di Colombo, per quanto possibile), ma lo sa fare bene. Rimane concentrato sugli avvenimenti, tratta il soggetto della sua ricerca da persona anziché da personaggio, e non dimentica di star scrivendo un'opera divulgativa, nella quale l'essenza dell'epoca e delle figure storiche deve essere trasmessa al lettore senza annegarlo in un mare di nozioni che rallentino la narrazione dei fatti. Cosa per niente facile.

L'esposizione è chiara e diretta, molto più moderna che non in certe opere scritte in tempi recenti; e questo libro vide le stampe per la prima volta nel '55. L'autore sa catturare l'attenzione e brilla per linearità. Potrebbe insegnare due o tre cose anche ad alcuni dei romanzieri oggi più quotati; figuriamoci agli scrittori di saggistica, che molte volte ritengono non sia necessario saper scrivere per esporre la materia di cui si occupano.
I pochi termini marinareschi presenti sono di facile comprensione e, comunque, si possono trovare su un qualunque vocabolario.

Con me l'autore ha sicuramente raggiunto quello che è lo scopo di un'opera divulgativa (cioè tirare l'acqua al proprio mulino). Dopo queste poche pagine - meno di trecento - ho intenzione di approfondire l'argomento. Qui si arriva a quella che è forse l'unica nota dolente, e cioè la mancanza sia di una bibliografia sia di un elenco delle fonti.
Nella Prefazione, l'autore accenna ad altre due edizioni del testo: una in due volumi e corredata da note; l'altra, senza le note e in un unico volume, vincitrice del premio Pulitzer. Queste due edizioni citano le fonti e, anche se non è specificato nella Prefazione, immagino siano corredate da una bibliografia.
Questa mancanza è anche il motivo della stellina in meno. Per quanto un testo sia inteso a scopo divulgativo, trovo abominevole per una qualsiasi opera di saggistica non dare la possibilità al lettore di verificare le fonti o poter fare riferimento almeno a una bibliografia essenziale.
La quale bibliografia, siamo d'accordo, sarebbe ormai molto parziale se non fosse nel frattempo aggiornata (il che però dipenderebbe dal lavoro dell'editore); ma il problema di fondo rimane.

Consigliatissimo.


Voto: 9/10