Crowley, Roger

Examines how the kings of Portugal built the first international maritime empire by drawing on the superior navigational skills of its explorers, specifically Vasco da Gama. Describes how the goal of finding the best sea route to India, fueled by the desire to conquer Muslim rulers and establish a Christian empire, led to the domination of the spice trade and the start of globalization.

Presents a comprehensive study of the siege of Constantinople in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks, and describes how Mehmet II defeated Constantine XI with new weaponry which included gunpowder and a twenty-seven-foot-long cannon called the Basilica.