Forgotten Brothers

What if Christopher Columbus owed his success--maybe even his very life--to two brothers who have been almost completely forgotten in the annals of history?Who were the Pinzon brothers, and what did they really do?Forgotten Brothers is the story of Martín and Vicente Pinzόn and how they were instrumental in ensuring the success of the mission, yet lost to history. Columbus invited Martín Pinzόn to join the expedition as the distrustful local populace had destroyed the two Crown-supplied ships, while Pinzόn had two of his own and the respect of all the seamen of southwestern Spain. Martin Pinzon and Columbus essentially became rivals; Columbus couldn't control the men, who loved and respected Pinzόn. They argued over the direction to steer and where land best lay. When Pinzόn abandoned Columbus to seek the source of gold, Columbus considered him a traitor and was fearful Pinzon would beat him back to Spain to glean all the glory. However, the Crown rejected Pinzόn's request for an audience, breaking his heart. History believes Columbus as only he maintained a journal. Based on many long-neglected historical treatises, some as many as 140 years old, this book presents a different picture of the facts of the voyage - facts today's history books fail to reveal.