Overview

In the sixteenth century, Spain's control over its vast New World empire depended on the sailors and officers who manned the galleons and merchant vessels of its Atlantic fleets. Pablo E. Perez-Mallaina paints a stunning portrait of the daily life of these crews aboard the ships of the Spanish Main. He also describes relations among the ship owners, officers, and crews, and traces the intervention of the Spanish government in disputes over pay and cases of insubordination and mistreatment. Perez-Mallaina paints a bleak picture of life at sea - cramped quarters, vermin infestation, fear of shipwreck, and threats from pirates - and its physical and mental effect on seamen and passengers. Most sailors were highly superstitious, and Perez-Mallaina closes his vivid study with an exploration of their unorthodox religious beliefs, which combined Christian and pagan elements. A significant contribution to maritime history, Spain's Men of the Sea also succeeds as a compelling tale of life and death at sea.

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9780801881831

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Reviews

A vivid portrayal of the everyday life of seamen on the Indies route. - Mariner's Mirror; One of the best currently available studies of sixteenth-century maritime life, combining impeccable scholarship with entertaining readability. - Lloyd's List

A readable and vivid portrayal of everyday life of seamen on the Indies route. -- David Goodman Mariner's Mirror The author makes commanding use of the material in the great range of archive and other sources he has mined to write a vivid and detailed account of all aspects of the day-to-day working of this great maritime endeavour by Spain... This is one of the best currently available studies of 16th century maritime life, combining impeccable scholarship with entertaining readability. Lloyds List The book opens up a raucous and rollicking past world, extracting touching human notes from very old historical documents. Kirkus Reviews Perez-Mallaina writes in an easily read style, often humorous and wry, that makes this book, unlike many a dry history tome, a pleasure to read. -- Delia Scott-Ireton Nautical Research Journal One of the greatest achievements of Spain's Men of the Sea is the depth of research and richness in detail. Perez-Mallaina supports his colourful narrative with ample examples of cases found in the archives, cases of human frailty, human greed, and human resilience. It is to the author's credit that many sixteenth-century characters come to life in this text, either through extensive description and examination of documented events, or through some equally fascinating illustrations of the period. -- Darlene Abreu-Ferreira Bulletin of the Society of Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies Provides an important reminder that it was Spain which carved out the first world empire. -- Bruce Taylor History: Reviews of New Books 2005 A fascinating and comprehensive study... I am pleased to give it my strong recommendation. -- John E. Kicza Renaissance Quarterly 2006 An incredibly valuable work... It is a pity readers without a command of the Spanish language were forced to wait so long to read it. -- B. R. Burg Itinerario: European Journal of Overseas History 2006 Fascinating, charmingly written book. -- Kris Lane Journal of Transport History 2006 Provides students and scholars with a fascinating read and will serve as a rich sea chest full of anecdotes for lectures. -- Ronald H. Fritze Sixteenth Century Journal 2007 Professor Perez-Mallaina has written a detailed and scholarly account of the lives of the men who sailed on the Carrera de Indias and his book will be of interest not only to historians of Spain and her relationship with her American colonies but also to students of Spanish literature in the Siglo de Oro. -- Patrick Williams Bulletin of Spanish Studies 2008

Author Information

Pablo E. Perez-Mallaina is director of the Department of American History at the University of Seville. Carla Rahn Phillips is professor of history at the University of Minnesota.

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