The Career and Legend of Vasco da Gama

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Summary: A brilliant revisionist view of the discovery discourse..
Review: Subrahmanyam's book on Vasco de Gama opens like a powerful opera with a nineteenth century ouverture by Mayerbeeer on one of the heroes of European exploration. One instantly remembers Said's use of Aida to illustrate his point about culture and imperialism, also at the heart of this book . It is a theoretically sophisticated book informed by Foucault and Said, who nevertheless are never in the foreground to cloud the real issues. There is no jargon to spoil the sophistication, yet the discourse about de Gama is slowly deconstructed as it unfolds as a biography, a portrait, a eulogy , an opera and a heroic journey. It is no longer a European view of de Gama, but a more global one, where Middle Eastern and Indian merchants long absent on the pages written in Europe play their role, at long last. Itlooks at the Portuguese arrival in India as a real historical event as opposed to leaving it a hymn to exploration and European imperialism. The book examines the construction of the Portuguese heroic myth of de Gama often represented as a Christ like figure, followed by 12 apostles, a Christian hero who has left holy relics. It might infuriate some readers, but it will inform many others about a major chapter of history which has remained, as the book title suggests a legend. A tour de force, and a must read for serious historians. The best book I have read in a long time, and a real pleasure to read.

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Summary: Vasco da Gama trip seen from an Indian perspective
Review: While the book certainly merits praise for its extensive research, one cannot help but see that the author takes every opportunity to throw pot shots at the Portuguese, failing in the process to highlight the merit that this trip had to the whole world. A more objective, less emotional approached would have greatly improved your work. José Dores, Toronto, Canada 5 September 1998