Holy War: How Vasco da Gama's Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations
&#8220;Lively and ambitious&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. Cliff has a novelist&#8217;s gift for depicting character&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. he brings 16th century Portugal in all its splendor and squalor pungently to life.&#8221; (Eric Ormsby, New York Times Book Review)&#8220;Epic&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. a compelling adventure tale, told by Cliff with the right mix of sweep and detail.&#8221; (BookPage)&#8220;Readers who enjoy a yeasty narrative by a skilled storyteller will mark this book as one of their favorites of the year.&#8221; (Cleveland Plain Dealer)&#8220;Nigel Cliff&#8217;sHoly Waris one of the most readable, engaging, and provoking books of the season, hands down&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. Cliff&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. writes with considerable energy, humor and narrative skill.&#8221; (Kansas City Star)&#8220;A fresh take on the history of the age of discovery&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. Cliff opens new vistas on much-explored territory.&#8221; (Publishers Weekly)&#8220;A useful addition to a continuing lively discussion of Christianity and Islam, situated both in respect of religions and culture, as well as empires and trade.&#8221; (Kirkus)&#8220;Cliff tells an often thrilling tale of adventure&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. He effectively restores the luster of da Gama&#8217;s achievement and provocatively reassesses the goals and significance of his expedition.&#8221; (Booklist)&#8220;A story told with great flair and serious scholarship.&#8221; (James Eckardt, The Nation)&#8220;A stirringly epic book&#8230;a thrilling narrative&#8230;This is broad-brush history, but it is accurate, and enlivened by splendid spots of color.&#8221; (Sunday Times (London))