In the 14th century; Nicolo and Antonio Zen journeyed from Venice up the North Atlantic; encountering warrior princes; fighting savage natives and; just possibly; reaching the New World a full century before Columbus. The story of their adventure travelled throughout Europe; from the workshop of the great cartographer Mercator to the court of Elizabeth I. For centuries; the brothers were international celebrities; until; in 1835; the story was denounced as a 'tissue of lies' and the Zens faded into oblivion. But was it a hoax? And what if these Venetian navigators really did make their incredible journey? Intrigued by the myth; Andrea di Robilant sets out to discover the truth about the Zen voyages. Following in their footsteps; his quest to solve one of Venice's most intriguing mysteries takes him on a fascinating journey of his own; from the crumbling Palazzo Zen in Venice to the Orkney Islands; Shetland; the Faroes; Iceland and even as far as an isolated monastery in Greenland. Part history; part travelogue; "Venetian Navigators" is a charming tale of great journeys; fine detective work and faith against the odds.
#423833 in Books Buddy Levy 2011-02-22 2011-02-22Format: Deckle EdgeOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.45 x 1.23 x 6.64l; 1.41 #File Name: 0553807501352 pagesRiver of Darkness Francisco Orellana s Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Incredible; well wrtiten tale of survival and discoveryBy BrisguyNot much to add to the other positive reviews. Buddy Levy makes history come alive with a nice mix of historical retelling combined with personal motivations and detail derived from thorough research. I was drawn to this story after dong a little reading on early South America and finding that they had a robust trade of not just items; but ideas with the people of the basin. In fact; one archeologist thinks the culture of many of the people of the Andes came from the . My only disappointment with the book was the scant converge of the cultures of the tribes the explorers met along the way; but of course; they were fighting against time for their own survival. I was fascinated by this true tale of adventure and discovery.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great Historical account by LevyBy Michael A. NelsonActually what brought me to this book was my interest in the indigenous people of the area and the current archeological findings and their interpretation.The BBC presented a program entitled "The Secret of El Dorado." The program referred to Orellana's trip down the River 1542 which; while apparently well-documented; seemed to be mythical. Scientific investigations have discounted Orellano's account of large communities along much of the River due to an underlying assumption that the basic soils of the basin are not adequate to allow intensive agriculture which is the basis for large community development. Current scientific investigation reveals that indigenous peoples had develop a system of agriculture; termed "terra preta" which allowed adequate production of food for large populations. In addition; archeology has located and examined numerous areas which were probably abandoned because of the indigenous contact with Europeans as happened in North America.The second aspect of Levy's book is the historical material about Conquistadors; Spanish power; and the colonization of the Inca Empire from Francisco Pizarro to Orellano's trip down the and the fate of the Pizarro family in Peru. The workings of the Spanish government and the politics of the time are interesting historically and in comparison with current world governments and situations.I recommend this book for the above reasons.Mike Nelson15 of 15 people found the following review helpful. Buddy Levy's Francisco Orellana's book (River of Darkness)By Paulo ReimannAll books about ian adventure; including the El Dorado; by Conquistadores or more into the modern times is great reading. The one just written by Buddy Levy is simply great. The book approaches a complex moment of history making it serious; historical and fun. The book is page turning from the start to the end (3 days along vacations); actually on a boat. Buddy Levy puts you in the picture of hardship of how the world; from the Andes to the ian sea discharge was made. Great reading for historians and non. A must read.
