"The Path to India" by Peter Wibaux – First Edition, 2010

"The Path to India" by Peter Wibaux First Edition, 2010 Fronteira do Caos Editores 278 Pages This is the story of men who sailed by reading the stars, played the games of politics and war better than anyone today, and dared risk the future of their nation in pursuit of legendary wealth on the other side of the world. It also explains why—and how—the small country of Portugal became a global power wildly disproportionate to its size. The story begins with a man whose vision is unclouded by scruples. John II—brilliant, fiery, and relentless—ascends the Portuguese throne in 1481. His people call him the Perfect Prince, well aware that his greatness and morality are, at best, acknowledged with a knowing nod. The king’s dream for the future of his small kingdom stretches to the incalculable wealth of Indian spices. To fulfill his ambition, King John summons courageous, skilled, and battle-hardened men to sail his caravels across uncharted oceans, and astronomers and navigators to guide them. He also enlists priests and shrewd men capable of winning an empire with a stroke of the pen or conquering foreign lands with a well-placed clause. Building upon the achievements of his great-uncle, Henry the Navigator, John sends his ships down the west coast of Africa—and his spies across the Red Sea to India. This gripping novel, grounded in years of historical research, recounts the deeds of those who risked their nation’s future on voyages as costly, bold, and perilous as the moon landings of our own era—voyages launched in search of Marco Polo’s pot of gold—and how they catapulted a small country onto the world stage and inaugurated globalization. --- Peter Wibaux is a scholar educated in Portugal and the United Kingdom. For over two decades, he has enjoyed the unique opportunity to conduct scientific work across four continents and travel extensively throughout the East. He currently resides in Lisbon and enjoys reading, music, and fine wine. AS NEW – FREE SHIPPING