Prince Henry "the Navigator"

Prince Henry the Navigator is a legendary, almost mythical, figure in late medieval history. Peter Russell has made use of much recently published documentary evidence to provide an cloquent, sophisticated and highly readable account of Henry's life. While full attention is given to all aspects of his voyages of discovery in the African Atlantic, including their economic and cultural consequences and the difficult questions of international law and papal jurisdiction, Russell also examines in detail the other spheres of activity which contributed to his fame, or sometimes brought it into question. He demonstrates the degree to which Henry's actions were motivated by the predictions of his astrologer -- an aspect of his career that has been neglected in the past -- and explains how it was that a man who was anything but 'modern' could have taken the first steps which were to change the political and demographic landscape not only of Europe but of much of the world.