Cross and Compass. Bloody Chronicles of World Colonization of the Atlantic

In the 15th century, the voyages of Portuguese explorers marked the beginning of the famous Age of Great Geographic Discoveries, altering the course of world history. In search of new sources of valuable goods, Europeans explored sea routes, fought for... spheres of influence, and even discovered entire parts of the world. Since the discovery of the route around Africa by Bartolomeu Dias and the opening of America by Christopher Columbus, the turbulent waters of the Atlantic became a true melting pot of ideas, cultures, and civilizations. Here, wars were waged and deals were made, new territories were explored, and battles were fought against the metropolises, trading in sugar, spices, and people.
This book is an impartial yet captivating chronicle of Europe's conquest of three continents: Africa, North America, and South America. "The Atlantic became an open world of interactions — both peaceful and violent; a world of movements of people and other living organisms (animals, plants, microbes), as well as the exchange of goods, ideas, capital, knowledge, practices, and representations…
Through numerous interwoven connections, the Atlantic world gradually expanded its influence far beyond its own shores, affecting the fates of countless people, whether they realized it or not. It is quite likely that a Boston merchant, a Nantes dockworker, a slave from Jamaica, an Indian from the silver mines of Mexico, or even Don Miguel de Castro would be extremely surprised to learn that they belong to the same world" (Eric Schnakenburg).