Nigel Cliff has tapped into an interesting idea: that the voyage of Vasco de Gama did more to propel Europe into prominence around the world than the more celebrated voyage of Christopher Columbus. Even more significantly, he calls Gama’s travels a continuation of the Crusades against Islam. If you enjoy history, those are both interesting perspectives.

Holy War: How Vasco da Gama’s Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations is well worth reading.