Atlantic Islands

In this pioneering study T. Bentley Duncan presents a fascinating, highly readable narrative of the history and early importance of Madeira, the Azores, and the Cape Verdes. In summarizing his work, the author writes, "The Portuguese mid-Atlantic islands provided essential assistance to ever-increasing fleets of ships. The islands were pivots around which the wheels of international commerce turned. They were the still points of the succor and reference in a moving world of wind,, water, and sail. As such, the now-neglected islands were the purest symbols of the Atlantic world."

With this work T. Bentley Duncan brings attention to a long neglected field. The author's assessment of the importance of the islands in the development of the Atlantic community is a unique and fundamental contribution to historical scolarship.