The story of an uncovered voyage as colorful and momentous as any on record for the Age of Discovery—and of the Black mariner whose stunning accomplishment has been until now lost to history
 
It began with a secret mission, no expenses spared. Spain, plotting to break Portugal‚Äôs monopoly trade with the fabled Orient, set sail from a hidden Mexican port to cross the Pacific‚Äîand then, critically, to attempt the never-before-accomplished return, the¬†vuelta. Four ships set out from Navidad, each one carrying a dream team of navigators. The smallest ship, guided by seaman Lope Mart√≠n, a¬†mulatto¬†who had risen through the ranks to become one of the most qualified pilots of the era, soon pulled far ahead and became mysteriously lost from the fleet. It was the beginning of a voyage of epic scope, featuring mutiny, murderous encounters with Pacific islanders, astonishing physical hardships‚Äîand at last a triumphant return to the New World. But the pilot of the fleet‚Äôs flagship, the Augustine friar mariner Andr√©s de Urdaneta, later caught up with Mart√≠n to achieve the¬†vuelta¬†as well. It was he who now basked in glory, while Lope Mart√≠n was secretly sentenced to be hanged by the Spanish crown as repayment for his services. Acclaimed historian Andr√©s Res√©ndez, through brilliant scholarship and riveting storytelling‚Äîincluding an astonishing outcome for the resilient Lope Mart√≠n–sets the record straight.