Portugal’s conquest in the east is something that doesn’t get much attention in many world History classes; while it was mentioned, the emphasis in the classes that I took was on the western hemisphere – primarily the Spanish in the Caribbean and Central America. Because of that, I found Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire by Roger Crowley very informative and learned a lot about Portugal’s exploration around Africa and into the Indian Ocean. Crowley does a great job of explaining not just how they did it but why they did it. This is no dry history book, it is a fascinating and engaging tale. It seems to be a balanced account, Crowley doesn’t discount the savagery and violence exhibited by the Portuguese while showing how what they did brought us to the globalized world we live in today. I found that this book is an excellent companion to Crowley’s book City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas, which I read last summer. I wish I had read them closer together.