Felipe Fernandez-Armesto is William P. Reynolds Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame, USA. Some of his recent publications include 1492: The Year Our World Began (2011), Pathfinders: A Global History of Exploration (2006) and The Conquistadors: A Very Short Introduction (2011).
In spirit, global history is an age-old endeavour. At the same time, each manifestation is highly specific to its moment, with its own particular set of constraints and possibilities. Prof. Fernandez-Armesto shows this with aplomb for the Western tradition, not just through the essays, which are judiciously chosen, but also through his introductory remarks, which are written with flare and a telling eye, highlighting the import of their subject for both students and scholars. * Gagandeep S. Sood, Associate Professor, International History Department, London School of Economics, UK *