“Brilliant. Enlightening. The surprise here is not that a vaunted academic like Delaney has written such a
deeply researched take on the Columbus legacy, but that she does so with page-turning style, effortlessly
transporting the modern reader into the minds and motivations of 15th-century Europe.”
–Martin Dugard, author of The Last Voyage of Columbus
“Everybody knows the story of Columbus, right? Wrong. For far too long, writers have chosen to ignore
one of Columbus's most powerful motivations: religion. In this exhaustively researched and engagingly
written account, Carol Delaney reveals the remarkable extent to which Columbus sailed across the Atlantic
not just to reach the other side but also to hasten the Christian recapture of Jerusalem
– and help bring about the end of the world. This is a fascinating and important book.”
–Toby Lester, author of The Fourth Part of the World
“This absorbing book adds a new and penetrating chapter to the long history of Jerusalem. But it does so
by recapturing some fascinating and critical information about another iconic figure, namely Christopher
Columbus who - Delaney makes clear - sailed west, but had Jerusalem on his mind the whole time. Carefully
documented and well crafted, the book reads like a superb historical novel. Columbus himself nearly steps
off the pages, and when we are finished we know him much better than we have before, including his
idiosyncrasies, delusions and uncanny maritime skills.”
–Harvey Cox, author of The Future of Faith
Editorial Reviews
"Carol Delaney's Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem...elegantly tells a familiar story--with a twist...The result is a revealing new view of Columbus." -Times Literary Supplement, Books of the Year"
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"A dramatic story with repercussions that could reach the heavens." -Washington Post
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"A welcome reappraisal of Columbus and his legacy." -Kirkus Reviews
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Delaney's lively, well-annotated storytelling delivers a treasure of gems, opens our minds to a vast medieval world, and piques our curiosity for more." -Providence Journal
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"Delaney introduces us to an unfamiliar Christopher Columbus as a product of his times...Delaney's take is fresh."
- Publishers Weekly
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"Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem will generate controversy." -Booklist
Op-Ed pieces on Columbus by Carol Delaney
"The Christmas day Europeans put roots in the New World" - Providence Journal (December 24, 2011)