Perspective

The perspective of The Four Voyages shifts depending on the source of the document included. Overall, Cohen (the editor) attempts to provide an even-handed view of the four voyages through a wide variety of sources, his own notes (which disprove certain claims and clarify the modern-day names of territories Columbus discovered). Sources in the book include:

Columbus's own log-book;

Hernando Columbus's biography of his father;

Royal Historian Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo's history of the Indies;

Letters from Columbus to various people, including the Spanish sovereigns;

Letters from Dr. Chanca, who accompanied Columbus on his second voyage; and

Letters from Diego Mendez, who accompanied Columbus on his last voyage.

Overall, most of the sources support the idea that Columbus went to conquer the New World for the glory of God and Spain, though they all mention ulterior motives, such as wealth and women, as other motives for exploration.

Tone