2011 · Harper (US, 2011) · Atlantic (UK, 2012) · Lisbon to Calicut
The Last Crusade
The Epic Voyages of Vasco da Gama
- A New York Times Notable Book of 2011
- Named one of the “Top 100 Books of 2011” by the Kansas City Star
- Shortlisted for the PEN/Hessell-Tiltman History Prize
- Shortlisted for the Mountbatten Maritime Prize
Previously published in the US and other countries as Holy War: How Vasco da Gama’s Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations
In 1498 a young captain named Vasco da Gama sailed from Portugal, circumnavigated Africa, crossed the Indian Ocean, and discovered the sea route to the Indies and, with it, access to the fabled wealth of the East. It was the longest voyage ever undertaken at that time. With blood-red Crusader crosses emblazoned on their sails, the explorers arrived in the heart of the Muslim East in an era when the old hostilities between Christianity and Islam had risen to a new level of intensity. In two voyages that spanned six years, da Gama would fight a running sea battle that would ultimately change the fate of three continents.
The Last Crusade is an epic tale of spies, intrigue, and treachery—of bravado, brinkmanship, and confused, often comical collisions between cultures—offering a surprising new interpretation of the broad sweep of history.
“Lively and ambitious…. Cliff has a novelist’s gift for depicting character.”
“Splendid… stirringly epic… Cliff skilfully depicts it as a last after-echo of the medieval crusades.”
The Indian Ocean
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“This excellent book tells the story with the swagger and excitement it deserves.”
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“A compelling adventure tale, told by Cliff with the right mix of sweep and detail.”
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“Nigel Cliff’s lively recreation of the life of Vasco da Gama… a skilful writer.”
