The Chronicle of the Discovery and Conquest of Guinea. Vol. I

Gomes Eannes de Zurara's chronicle stands as one of the earliest and most significant eyewitness accounts of Portugal's dramatic thrust into the Atlantic, documenting the voyages that would reshape the known world. Written in the late fifteenth century and commissioned by King Alfonso V, this work immortalizes the achievements of Prince Henry the Navigator and the daring sailors who pushed beyond the feared Cape Bojador into unknown waters. Zurara's narrative interweaves genealogy, battle accounts, and moral reflection, offering a window into how Renaissance-era Europeans understood their own "discoveries" and the human cost of expansion. The chronicle famously records the capture of the first African slaves, presenting it as both commercial venture and Christian mission, a duality that defines much of what follows in the history of European-African contact. This is not merely a historical record but a period document that reveals the motivations, justifications, and worldview of an empire ascending. For readers interested in the origins of the Atlantic world, the beginning of the slave trade, or the practice of medieval historiography, Zurara's work remains indispensable.