The First Global Village - Martin Page

The First Global Village

How Portugal Changed the World by Martin Page.

When Jonah was swallowed by the "great fish", he was only trying to escape to the territory that is now Portugal. It was here that Hannibal found the warriors, weapons, and gold that made his march on Rome possible; and Julius Caesar, the fortune that allowed him to conquer Gaul and England. During the Middle Ages, further north, Arab rulers integrated Portugal into the most advanced civilization in the world. After the conquest of Lisbon by the Normans, the new Portugal bankrupted Venice and became the richest nation in Europe. Before being elected Pope, under the name of John XXI, Pedro Hispano, born in Lisbon, wrote one of the first modern compendiums on Medicine which, a century later, was a mandatory reference book throughout almost all of Europe. The Portuguese brought tulips, chocolate, and diamonds to Holland, introduced the five o'clock tea habit to England, and gave Bombay the key to the Empire. They taught Africa how to protect itself against malaria and brought shiploads of slaves to America. They introduced higher education, curry, and samosas to India and tempura and firearms to Japan.

Work details

• Author: Martin Page
• Publisher: Casa das Letras
• Category: History
• Number of pages: 312
• Cover: Paperback